Soul Eater: VOID
by Narusaku1357
Summary: As a Witch Hunter, Soul Evans should have been the one to kill "Class B" Witch Maka Albarn, but there was something that held him back and he never expected to fall so hard for such a dangerous thing. SoulxMaka AU. Witches (kind of based off of HTTYD)
1. Chapter 1

H-Hello everyone~ I'm alive... :)

Here is my next story, its called VOID. The preview has been up on my profile for awhile yes?

Hope most of you have read it and been looking forward to it...And I hope its worth the wait. OAO

I feel like it won't live up to expectations and I'll never be able to write something as amazing as RABS and DAPS but...I'm still gunna do it!

Next story won't be an AU I promise!

Couples in this:

SoulXMaka

Black*StarXTsubaki

KidXLiz

-maybe some others~

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><p><em><strong>SE- VOID<strong>  
><em>

_Where I come from, our __number one rule is: If you see a witch, take her down immediately._

_Uncool right? _

_Not really. I grew up around witch hunters and people telling me that if I ever saw one that I'd have to tell my parents so _'they'_ could kill them. 'Cause you see…I'm not an official Witch hunter yet…so I'm not allowed to put myself in any danger. _'That's'_ what's uncool. Damn it all. I'm seventeen and I'm still not permitted to go witch hunting with my parents and brother. I'm starting the training classes soon—in one day actually. But that still won't let me go out and take down a witch! Not until I graduate that is. And once I graduate I get to go on my first real hunt. And I get to use my own weapon. If I survive longest in "The Exam"…Mother says I get to use the weapon I was named after…Soul Eater._

_…Now _'that's'_ cool. _

~V O I D~

His crimson eyes stared blankly at the table in front of him as his pencil tapped lightly on the surface. Not only did this boy grow up in a family of witch hunters, but they were all musicians too and he had an idea for a song that he needed to start writing. It was six in the morning…everyone else in the house was asleep except for him. He couldn't get the score out of his head and then finally when he gets in front of a paper, he blanks out. It irritated him as much as not being able to go after a witch did. He growled a soft curse and threw the pencil down to lean back in his seat. He then rubbed his eyes and head to relieve stress.

"Damn it…" Soul Evans muttered out to himself. "Where did it go?" He then asked; opening his eyes once more; only to see the ceiling. "I just had it…" Clock ticking in the background, Soul stood up from his chair and quickly, but quietly, left his room to sneak into the kitchen to take hold of the fridge handle. He then opened it, bent over for a better view, searched its contents until he found the carton he was looking for—milk of course—and took it off the shelf. Smiling his usual crooked grin, he stood back up and shut the door only to catch sight of someone in the doorway. "Wha!" He nearly dropped the carton.

"What are you doing up so early?" His mother, Roselin Evans, asked in her usual English accent as she leaned in the doorway of the kitchen. Soul only froze and tried to give her an innocent smile as if he didn't want her to get angry. But she was a nicer mother than that, so she wouldn't yell at him unless he truly deserved it. "Un-freeze boy, you're off the hook." She laughed as she stepped away to take the carton of milk out of his hands. She then walked over to the nearest counter to grab themselves two glasses and poured some into each one. "Are you brainstorming again, or are you just excited for your first day in training?"

"Both." Soul answered before receiving a glass from his mother. Before taking a sip, Roselin lifted a brow and he smiled a little. "I had a song stuck in my head all night and decided to write it…" he then said to her. "And I also couldn't sleep because of today being my first day and all…" He took a drink of the milk before leaning on the counter. "There's gunna be a ton of kids there who already know what to do…I'm going to be the only one who hasn't a single clue huh?" He looked at his mother and saw that she only gave him a small shrug. "Man…how uncool."

"Don't worry, dear." Roselin said with a motherly smile. "I'm sure you'll still be the classes "cool" kid." She laughed a little as her son rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I think that's adorable how you think you're so cool…" She then said; causing the boy to snap a small but playful glare. "Oh! But you still are the coolest! Cooler than Wes, I'll say…" Laughing a little more, the eldest of the two white haired Evans took a drink of her milk before smiling at the youngest once more. "Oh did I tell you yet? Your father and I have a special mission today while you and Wes are training."

"Mission? What kind of witch?"

"We're going after a "Class B"…Isn't that exciting?"

Soul's brows shot up in amazement. He didn't know much about witches since he hadn't really been taught yet, but he was told about the class they were apparently going after. A "Class B" witch was the middle witch, or middle level. He was told that they were very rare and the only class that used actual Spell Books instead of incantations. But he also learned that if you take their spell book away, they can still conjure up elemental spells like, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire…and all that jazz. But he was never told on how to deal with them after that. So if he ever came face to face with a "Class B" witch, he'd know what to do up until the point where she'd shoot fire balls at his ass…that's when he'd be screwed…

"Wow…good luck." Soul muttered after a moment's thought. He took a drink of his milk and looked at her again. "Are you killing her, or observing?"

"Observing for now." Roselin answered. Her matching crimson eyes traveled down to her empty cup and she smiled. "Sosano was thinking about taking her book for study. What do you think?" She looked back up into the blank face of her son and she pouted. "Oh don't just stare, answer…" and with that, Soul shrugged and took another sip of his drink. Roselin sighed at this and walked over to the sink to set her glass inside. "I know you don't know as much as us when it comes to witches…but you at least have to decide on something like that…right? Or do you feel like it's a bad idea and just don't want to tell me? I'm your mother you know…you can tell me anything—"

"Take it."

Soul and Roselin both looked over to the kitchens opening and saw a taller and older version of him. Wes Evans, his older brother that had a talent for playing the violin, stood in the doorway dressed for his classes. "I can tell just by how you're speaking mother…" Wes began as he walked into the room to set his hand on his little brother's head. "If you want to take the witches book _'that' _badly…go ahead and do it." He then said.

"But I wanted Soul's opinion on the idea."

Wes laughed lightly and shook Soul's hair around. "Eh…who cares about what little brother thinks anyway?" He then asked; receiving a not-so-playful glare from the younger boy. Wes looked at the menacing red glare from below and smiled. "I'm kidding." He tossed Soul's hair around one last time and walked away to grab an apple from the counter's basket. "Well mother, classes start in an hour." He began walking over to the doorway after kissing her on the cheek. "So Little Brother and I will be on our way! Au revior!" Soul rolled his eyes as the older boy left the building, but then gasped: realizing he was supposed to be going with him.

"H-Hey wait! I'm not even ready!"

~V O I D~

"First off! My name is Black*Star! And today Stein-Sensei told me to be in charge!"

Soul grinned at the sight of his blue haired friend at the front of the classroom of ten or so kids. The city he lived in may have been small but the school was huge…it was full of different aged students from sixteen through twenty. The older students were there only because they wanted to learn more or they chose to join the classes a little late. And the school was so large only because there was about ten or eleven kids in each class. Black*Star was definitely younger than he was, but he was already enrolled in the training school and was about a year in…just like the rest of the students there he believed. Wes was much older and experienced than he was though, so he and a few other older students got to learn different things in a different part of their school. And since today was Soul's first day, Black*Star and the others offered to help out with anything possible.

"Secondly!" Black*Star held up two fingers to show the other students. "We have a new student and I—the great Black*Star—am proud to call this guy my friend." He stepped over to the only white haired boy in the classroom and set a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone, this is my good buddy, Soul Evans." Everyone's eyes were on Soul now and all he could do was let out a small but still nervous grin. He could tell by some of the looks and glares people were giving him…that it was going to be a very long day. "I will be going over the old stuff we all learned in the beginning of the year."

"What? Seriously?"

"Yeah, yeah. Soul doesn't know, so I'm in charge of telling him." Black*Star muttered with a glare towards the other children in the class. He walked over to the black board and took a piece of chalk to write down "Class A", "Class B" and "Class C" in a line at the top. He then underlined each and pointed to the last one in line. "First Soul, I'll explain to you what a "Class C" witch is. They are the most common out of each three kinds. They're type of magic usually revolves around animals or plants. In the past we've reordered sightings of snakes, spiders, frogs, wolves, hawks, and camellias…that's a flower." Some kids in the class rolled their eyes as the blue haired no-it-all laughed. But Soul—the only one actually interested—raised his hand. "Huh?"

"How do you take them down though?"

"Oh right." Black*Star laughed a little more and walked over to the desk. "The great "I" was getting to that." He opened a drawer and took out a gun looking contraption. "Though we may use weapons like swords, axes, rocks tied in rope—for tripping them mostly—throwing knives, ninja stars, chain scythes and regular scythes…we also use this." He held it up for not only Soul to see, but the whole class. "This here is our "Lightning Bug". It shoots a nice strong bolt of lightning at your target and is used for the sole purpose of burning a witch's hands so she can't use magic. But you can also shoot her whole self if you want. I, the amazing Black*Star have the best aim out there in the training ring." Soul rolled his eyes with a scoff.

"Oh get on with it, you show off."

"Fine then." Black*Star set the Lightning Bug back on the desk and picked up the chalk to write more so Soul could take his notes. Then he pointed to the class in the middle. "Next up! "Class B" Witches!" He exclaimed; causing Soul to lean in with a lot more interest. He wasn't the kind of guy to actually pay attention when it came to learning in school. But at the moment, he was most curious about the "Class B" witches because that—at that moment—was the kind of witch his parents were spying on. "Now, "Class B" witches are very rare, but they have been spotted." Black*Star began. "In the past hundred years a "Class B" sighting has been recorded only three times. They're the only type of witch that uses a Spell Book. So if you ever spot one, get rid of her spell book first." Soul nodded and wrote it down. He knew this already but Black*Star still knew some things he didn't. "But just because you have the spell book, don't think you're off the hook. She's still got both hands, and with those two hands she can still conjure up simple elemental spells like Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind. That's when the Lightning Bug comes in. Shoot her hands and then she'll finally be out for the count."

"What about the Void Element?"

Black*Star eyed a young blond girl on the far end of the bench they all sat at. Then he laughed. "Patty. You and the great I have already talked about this…" He stopped laughing and set his hands on his hips. "Stein-Sensei did too. There's no such thing as the "Void Element". It doesn't exist." He turned to write a little more before pointing to the very first witch type. "Alright, last but not least. We have our "Class A" witch. There's only one on record and her name is Mabaa. She's the leader and queen of the rest and is looked up to for guidance, healing, and shelter. We like to call her the Grand Witch. Hehe, kinda like Sandwich!" He laughed; causing some students to glare. "Anyway…Her type of magic is still unknown to us since no one has ever seen her, so pretty much everything we know about her is just a rumor or assumption. I'm pretty sure a simple Lightning Bug and sword combo isn't enough to take her down, but I'm sure the great I could kill her on the spot!"

"Yeah right…" Soul muttered to himself; looking away with a small snicker. 'Mabaa would defiantly kill _'him' _on the spot…' He silently laughed to himself for a moment before eying the rest of the class. Most were talking since they had already been given that lecture, and some were still interested enough to listen anyway. The blond known as Patty was talking with her older sister Liz. Soul knew them about as long as he knew Black*Star, but he wasn't as close to them as he was with the blue haired spaz. His eyes wondered a little more and soon fell upon the door. Behind it was the hallway, and somewhere in that hallway there was the door that led to the training ring. He was definitely going to get himself in there one day. He had to if he wanted to be a good Witch Hunter.

"Now, Soul I need to show you where the training ring is!"

Soul looked over to the blue haired boy as he erased what was left on the board. Then after the chalk was back down in its resting place, Black*Star faced the class. "If you guys want to come, then go ahead. But this is just so Soul knows the battle rules!" All the kids stood and began whispering about some kind of thing they wanted to see again. Soul only lifted a brow as he stood to follow his lifelong friend out the door. They walked down the halls—students still whispering and talking—and soon Soul found himself curious on what the main gossip topic was.

"Black*Star, what are they talking about?"

Black*Star kept walking but looked over his shoulder with a smile. "Oh, they're talking about Soul Eater." He then told him; causing Soul's lazy eyes to slightly widen. "That's the scythe your parents named you after right?" Black*Star then asked. After a short moment, Soul nodded and looked at the ground. He had forgotten all about it. The large scythe Soul Eater was a weapon found about a hundred years prior to that was brought to their city and put up on display and every 5 years, a very lucky student would be able to wield it for another 5 years for their witch hunting missions. That is…after winning a very hard competition. Though, no one had ever gotten to wield it since it was found anyway. Not even his parents—the top hunters in the city.

"Here we are."

Soul looked up from the ground just in time to stop himself from running into Black*Star. They had both stopped in front of a large door made from wood. "Soul Eater and the arena are both behind these doors." Black*Star mumbled before setting his hands on the handle. He then pushed the door open just enough so he and the others could slip through with ease. But Soul was left behind, staring in awe. Inside in the hall that led to the inside of the arena, there was a glass box holding up a large scythe with a red and black jagged pattern on the blade. To make the legends about the red, black, gold, and silver weapon true, there was an eye up on the very top where the blade began. Soul slowly made his way over and bent over to look at the crimson colored eye with his own crimson ones. Soul Eater's eye reminded him of his own…it reminded him of himself…

"Now! Like I've told you all! You are not allowed to touch Soul Eater unless Shinigami-Sama says you may." Black*Star said as he spread out his arms to push the students back. He then looked over his shoulder at Soul and grinned. "The only people who have ever touched this scythe were the people who found it and our lord himself!" Soul looked at him and lifted a brow as the blue haired boy looked at the class again; pushing them back with his arms. "No one, not even the great "I" can touch it, so we all need to back off! You too Soul." Said boy nodded and took a step back before getting himself dragged into the arena. "This," Black*Star then began as they all came into the middle. He then faced Soul and smiled from ear to ear. ", is where you'll be fighting our captured witches." Soul grinned.

"Cool."


	2. Chapter 2

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 2

RockOnFolks :D

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><p>"Hey...Your hair's on fire."<p>

"What?"

Soul laughed as his older brother ran off to the nearest restroom as soon as they got home. For a grown man, Wes seemed to care a lot for his "beautiful" hair…up to the point where he'd believe anything that Soul would say about it. Like just then for example: Wes's hair wasn't really on fire. It looked burnt from when he had been fighting in the arena against a very old "Class B" …but it wasn't on fire or anything. Soul would have probably taken the situation a little more...seriously.

"Soul! I'll kill you for that!"

The youngest of the brothers laughed the other as he made his way up the stairs and up to his bedroom. But on the way to his room, the light under his parents' door caught his eye. "Mother?" He asked as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Father? Are you two already home?" His strong yet fragile hands touched the door's handle and slowly, it creaked open to reveal a lit up room. He slowly peeked his head in and saw no one in the room and only the silence that belonged to it. So he glanced over to the left and saw their bed, and that's where they were. Both his parents sat on their bed with reading glasses on; examining a large book that was opened up before them. "Is that…?"

"Oh, Soul! Come here" Roselin said as she looked up from the large book. She used her right hand to gesture him over in an excited way and slowly but surely, the young man made his way over. "We were able to get the witch's Spell Book!" She pointed to the page that she was looking at only moments ago and Soul crawled over to see as well. On the page he could see many different symbols written along with English written words. "Can you believe it?" His mother asked as her hands traced the page. "An actual Spell Book…" Soul eyed it carefully and let his own fingers trace along the page. He was the luckiest guy in the school to be able to actually touch one.

"H-How did you get it…?"

"She gave it to us." Roselin answered; causing him to look up in shock. The white haired woman then giggled and shook her head; taking her glasses off. "I'm kidding." She then said. Her crimson eyes soon lied on the book and she touched it again. "We actually waited until she set it aside to do something else. Sosano grabbed it and we took off before she could notice we were there—" A phone at the side of the room began ringing and all three of them were looking at it. Roselin lifted a brow as her husband got up to go answer it, and once he did, he gestured her over.

As they both talked, Soul, who still sat on the bed, looked at the book again. Slowly he reached over and grabbed the edge to shut it and once he did, a symbol on its cover came into view. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the book's leather fabric; eying the symbol carefully. "What is that?" He then asked himself as he leaned in a little more to look at it in closer view. There was an "M" printed in a different color fabric and cursive like writing. Behind it, though, there was a shape of some sort that came up and around the letter, resembling a curved blade. "Is that…Soul Eater?"

"Soul! Go get your brother and tell him to meet us outside!"

Said boy looked up at his father as the man walked over. He grabbed the book away from his son and walked over to the room behind their mirror—the secret room where his parents kept their findings. "What's going on?" Soul asked as he slipped off the bed. His mother looked at him from the doorway, frowning with a look of pain in her eyes. "Mother?" Instead of answering to his calls, the woman shut her eyes and turned to leave as Sosano came out of the secret room and shut the mirrored door. Soul faced his senior and made a fist. "Father, what's going on?" He yelled; baring his shark like teeth in anger and frustration. "Why are you doing this all of a sudden—"

"There's no time to explain to you. Just get your brother!"

"But why?" Soul screamed as the door was slammed shut. His right eye twitched angrily before he took a step toward the door to go find his brother, but a bright light blazing behind him stopped him in his tracks. His shadow became bigger against the wall and caused him to spin around in curiosity. Outside the window a large light of orange blazed brightly; drawing him closer only to see that the city had caught on fire in the distance. "Whoa…oh geez…not cool, not cool…" Quickly, Soul spun back around and ran over to his parents' bedroom door and ran into the hallway, only to slam into the wall on the way. "WES!"

"I know, I'm going!"

Soul watched his older brother run down the hall and down the stairs as soon as he heard his voice. "Wes!" He then called; causing his brother to stop at the main doorway on the bottom floor. Crimson met crimson as the younger of the two eagerly bit his lip. "Wes, what…what's going on out there?" He finally asked. Wes smiled slightly at Soul's curiosity, and as he opened the door to leave he answered the younger boy.

"Witches are attacking."

~V O I D~

Soul knew he wasn't allowed to do it, but he still left the mansion anyway so he could help. Over the years, the city had been attacked many times, and he had been told each time to keep inside. But now that they were here and he actually knew what to do, he wasn't going to just kick back and relax as the people of his home town risked their lives. The only problem was that he didn't have a weapon to defend himself with, so his first stop was the class room of his new teacher Dr. Frank N. Stein. He remembered that the old man had a Lightning Bug in his desk, and if he could get a hold of it, he'd be just fine.

But that's when things got bad.

Something exploded under his feet; causing him to fly up and land against the nearest wall. The young white haired musician then coughed a few times before supporting himself up with his elbows to stare at the ground. What in the world had hit him? "Tisk tisk…a small child running around at a time like this…" A woman's voice rang. "And…he doesn't even have a weapon…how unlucky." Soul gasped and looked over to his left to see a tall blond woman dressed in a black jumpsuit. A barefooted, snake eyed witch stared down at him with a wand at hand and a narrow smile across her lips. "Say your prayers young man…" His lazy eyes widened, and from reaction to the raise of her wand, he got up and ran off as fast as he could; hearing the witch's laugh fill the air.

"Shit! The first witch I see and she's got to be an adult!" Soul screamed as he made his way up the stairs to Shibusen. As soon as he came up the doors that seemed to be fire proof from the flame all around, he slammed against it and grabbed the handle to pull it open. As he jerked and tugged, something crawled around his foot—or more like, slithered. "Snake? Not cool!" The boy shouted as he shook the snake off his foot. Behind him the blond "Class C" witch grinned again and began to conjure up even more snakes but once she got the incantation down, he had finally slipped inside.

Soul looked around the empty hall as he slammed the door behind him. "Hello?" He then called. But he received no answer. "Strange…" He then muttered to himself as he began walking towards Stein's classroom. "They usually come for Soul Eater…this place is usually packed with witches during an attack…" The boy's hands came across the doors to his classroom and slowly he opened it just enough to peek inside. "Teachers and hunters are usually running around this place too…" Within the classroom, there was no breathing soul alive, so he was safe to walk in without being seen. As soon as he got in, he went straight for the desk to tear the drawers apart.

"Hurry! Soul Eater is down this hall!"

Soul looked over to the door as he finally caught site of the gun he had been looking for. There were footsteps outside in the hall and he could see a shadow stop in front of the doorway; causing him to back away from it. Then, as the handle began to turn, the white haired hunter in training spun around and charged for the window. He slammed it open, set his hand on the windowsill, and jumped right out into the grassed courtyard two stories down. It hurt, yes, but he wasn't going to let it get to him. So he ran deeper into the park that resembled the woods that surrounded the city; keeping an eye on the window in case no one saw him escape the classroom with Stein's lightning bug. "I'm not allowed to help them…" He growled to himself as he stopped near one of the many different trees in that park. "But I don't care…hunting witches is in my blood…I have to do this…" Behind him, he could feel the atmosphere heating up and it was getting hot…

Very hot…

Soul spun around and saw that the half of the park was aflame; causing him to gasp but keep his cool all at the same time. "Fire! That only means one thing!" He then shouted to himself; glaring around as his crimson eyes glowed in the firelight. Why didn't he notice it before? "There's a "Class B" in the city!" The white haired boy quickly made his way away from the fire and down a flight of stairs that led down to the street. People were running back and forth screaming about the fire and how they left their belongings at home. Even hunters seemed to be panicking about their own children. But why was he there? The fire had just begun when he saw it, so that meant she was still up there in the garden!

"Soul?"

"Shit!" Soul cursed as he heard his mother's voice in the distance over the frantic yelling of the town's folk. An explosion completely drowned her out as he turned to run back up the stairs, and at the very top, he took one last look to see if she was ok. Roselin was just fine; the only problem was that there were people in her way as she was trying to reach her son. "Sorry Mother." He whispered before turning to run back into the park. He ran through the bushes and trees in the area, pointing the Lightning Bug in each direction he could until he found flame, then he'd turn around. He did this about three or four times until finally, when he turned around, he caught sight of a young girl just about his age, standing in the middle of the flame wearing a heavy brown coat and a brown hat atop her head. Light brown—almost sandy blond—pigtails hung from her head as her large forest green eyes scanned the fire lit park. And before he could say anything to her, a wand slipped out from within her sleeve and she blasted a fireball in the direction of the school; causing him to fall to the ground in surprise.

"Th-That's the "Class B"!" Soul shouted, mostly to himself. That couldn't be right…she was just a kid! How could a kid his age be a powerful witch like that? Gulping, the white haired boy crawled behind a bush and held up the Lightning Bug to aim at the powerful witch. He shut one eye to get a better shot and set his finger on the trigger until he noticed something on her jacket shoulder. A scythe looking symbol behind a cursive printed "M"? Where had he seen that before?

That's when it hit him.

Soul's eyes widened and he lowered his weapon. "They're not here for Soul Eater…" he then mumbled to himself as he watched the witch shoot a nearby house with a fireball. "They're here to help her find her Spell Book…That's why she's using elemental spells…" He looked down to the ground for a moment; realizing that his parents had the very thing this witch was looking for, and that also meant his home and his family were in danger. But he wasn't going to let her get anywhere further as long as he had the Lightning Bug. "Take this you rotten witch…" Soul growled; holding up the witch hunting gun and aiming for her. When the girl stopped to kick a nearby tree in anger, he pulled the trigger and an enormous amount of energy shot out from the front. Not being used to it, not only did it hit his target, but his hands were burnt as well. Not as bad as it would be for a witch, but bad enough to hurt like an "uncool" bitch!

Soul shook his burnt hand around to cool it off before looking up and over the bush to see what had happened to the witch. She was on her knees, holding her hand close with a look of pain on her face; causing him to grin and silently cheer to himself. "I did it! I hit a "Class B" witch!" He looked back up to bask in more glory but caught sight of her standing and holding up the other hand; revealing that he had only hit one hand instead of both. "Damn it!" Soul cursed as the witch shut her eyes and snapped her fingers. And just like that, she was gone in an instant; leaving him alone in a ring of fire. "What? Get back here!" He hopped over the bush and stood where she once was and held the Lightning Bug with one hand. He then sighed; realizing that she was gone and before he did anything else, a slither rung in his ear. Slowly, the white haired boy of the Evans family turned his head and saw what he feared was there.

A snake.

"AH! DAMN IT!" Soul screamed as he reached up with his burnt hand to rip it off his shoulder. "Not cool!" He then yelled before kicking it away.

"That wasn't very friendly you know…you should be nicer to my pets…"

Soul spun around to face the blond snake witch from before and instantly from reaction, held up the Lightning Bug in a defensive position. The woman smiled at him as if it was a game and took a step forward; causing him to take a step back in response. "Stay back." Soul then commanded as she took another step forward; raising her wand. "I'll shoot you." He then said as the surface of the magical stick began to glow a dark yellow color. "I mean it." He said again. The witch laughed and went to speak an incantation but stopped at the feeling of another gun pressed up against her head.

""Class C" Witch, Medusa. Lay a hand on my son, and I will shoot you right there where you stand."

Soul lowered his weapon and blinked in surprise at his rescuer. "M-Mother?" He then stuttered out as the witch's wand went back to normal and disappeared back into her pocket. "What are you doing?" He then asked as a few other hunters ran over and took the witch known as Medusa away. "I-I almost had her…" Roselin put her Lightning Bug away and walked over to her son with a serious look in her eyes. And then before he could say anything else, she lightly tossed her hand down on the top of his head, hard enough just to make it hurt. "Hey—" His mother huffed and looked away; crossing her arms in a childish manor.

"That was for sneaking out and doing…uh…whatever you were doing!"

"I shot a "Class B" on the hand!"

"Oh, Soul I was so worried about you!" Roselin balled as she hugged the younger Evans family member. Soul blinked and lifted a brow. His mother hadn't heard a single word he just said... "I saw you out there in the streets and was already worried in an instant!" She cried; still hugging the poor boy. "And once I saw you run up here to where all the fire was, I was even _'more' _worried!"

'Is that even possible…' Soul thought as the woman cried over his shoulder. He sighed and hugged his mother back and decided that maybe telling them all that he had shot and burned a "Class B" witch's hand was probably a bad idea at the moment….

~V O I D~

"I'm sure you did, dear."

"No, really mother, I did." Soul shot back as he followed his mother around the mansion. He had been trying that whole morning so far to tell her that he had burned a "Class B" witch on the hand. He even got specific and told her that it was the right hand. But for some reason, she didn't believe him. Maybe it was because they were both up at four in the morning from lack of sleep that she just didn't feel like listening to logic. "Mother, the witch was right there. I shot her hand and she used the other to disappear."

"Soul, witches can't use spells if you burn their hands."

"Yeah, that's why I'm telling you I shot her _'right' _hand!" Soul stopped in front of a door after his mother disappeared behind it. The sign on the door said what it usually said to let people out in the hall know that Roselin was taking a bath at the moment, so with a groan, he set his forehead on the door. "Mother, common…you have to believe me." The white haired boy almost felt desperate now…He had even whispered that into the door. "Mom?" He asked again. But there was only silence, so with a sigh, Soul turned and began walking back to the kitchen. As soon as he was in there he opened the nearest cupboard and searched through its contents. Soon he pulled out a small bottle that resembled an eye drop container, but instead of dripping its contents on his crimson eyes, he let it drop on the burns on his right hand. Then he rubbed the liquid in and set the bottle in his pocket before walking away.

Soul climbed up the steps, walked passed his mother's bathroom and came to his bedroom door. Not so slowly, he swung it open and walked inside before heading over to his dresser. He opened the first drawer and pulled out the Lightning Bug he had used to shoot the witch the night before. Then with a nod in approval, Soul shut the drawer, turned to his window, opened it and crawled out. He then grabbed a pipe that went along the side of his mansion and used it to go to a window on the other side of it. Carefully, he reached over and opened the sliding glass window and looked around the room that belonged to his older brother. Wes wasn't in there, so he was free to reach into the glass pot on the older man's dresser and pull out what he had been looking for.

A knife.

Satisfied with what he got, Soul leaned back outside, shut Wes's window and with a deep breath, slid down the pipe all the way to the grassy hill at the base of his home. He landed in a large bush and rolled out fast enough to help himself stand almost instantaneously. And then with a "cool guy" like fix of his hair, Soul was off down the hill and on his way to go research the surrounding woods.

~V O I D~

Of course Soul found nothing. The woods were empty, other than the occasional birds and animals that he'd see somewhere in the distance or in a tree. He actually tripped a couple times to make it even more uncool. The rich kid of the city wasn't very used to walking aimlessly through a forest without a trail, so what he was doing was getting him lost. Very lost… Kicking a rock wasn't a very good idea, since it usually ended up being larger than he thought and half of it was just underground; causing him to fall right on his face. Thinking that a tree branch will stay back when you push it wasn't a good idea either since the damn thing came back and smacked him in the face when he did it. Soul didn't like the woods.

He really didn't.

Angry at the tree that had just slapped him in the face, Soul took out the knife he stole from his brother's room and cut the branch down. "Ugh! That's so uncool!" He then yelled; throwing it as far as he could before putting the knife back. Then, fixing his black leather jacket, he turned at the heel to keep walking, but to his misfortune, ran into the very tree he had stolen its branch from. For a moment he tried to stay standing, but after about three seconds, the white haired boy fell to the ground and shut his eyes.

'NO!'

Soul sat up and opened his eyes again; refusing to pass out in the middle of the forest. He couldn't get lost, he _'wouldn't' _get lost! Even if he had to stop himself completely from passing out. He used his hands as support to stand up and brushed off his beige colored pants before looking away to the right. But then he stopped; lifting a brow and tilting his head slightly to the side. "How long has that been there?" He then asked himself. There before him was just another regular cliff, but this one had a waterfall that fell down into a very shallow pool beneath. So shallow that he could see the bottom and jump across on some stones that weren't submerged if he wanted to. It sparkled in the sunlight as if it were some kind of magic spring from some kind of fairy tale. The roaring sound of the water almost seemed quiet and peaceful because of it…

"How did I not hear that, either?"

Soul picked up a small rock and tossed it into the water; causing it to skip across the surface and after it plunged into the shallow water, he let out a sigh, and turned to his left to keep looking on his search. There was another thing he hadn't seen until that very moment. But this one caused him to freeze completely; eyes widened from shock. At the bank of the pond, leaning on a large stone, the sandy blond witch he shot the night before slept. She was actually sleeping…her wand nowhere to be seen, her clothed body completely exposed to the world. Her hand, still burnt, rested in her lap, and her hat lied on the ground beside her; revealing her red ribboned pigtails.

The white haired boy gulped, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the knife before slowly making his way over to the sleeping witch. He stepped over every little thing that could make a sound and as soon as he was in front of the girl, he gripped the knife's handle and gulped down a lump in his throat. "This is it…" He then muttered to himself; watching the rising and falling of her chest. "I'll kill you…and then I can prove to my Mother and Father what I did last night was true." Soul shut his eyes and held the knife up in a ready position. But something was wrong. He couldn't swing down on the witch.

'Common…' Soul thought; opening his eyes again. Though, he caught something and glanced right at it. And that "it" was her. She was looking right at him with wide and fearful eyes. He felt his own eyes widen at the sight. Why did she have to be awake? Why did she have to be looking right at him? And why…why didn't she just strike him down with the last bit of the magic she had with her one properly working hand? The witch shut her eyes and looked away from him as if ready to except the knife as Soul kept on staring at her. He felt his hands begin to shake. 'Common…any cool guy could have killed her by now…' he thought; shutting his eyes again.

The knife hit the ground near her leg; causing her large green eyes to open in wonder. She then glanced up to see him blankly staring at it. And then, before anything else happened, he sighed and knelt down; reaching into his back pocket. "Guess I'm not as cool as I thought I was…" He then muttered to himself as he took out the small bottle of the burn healing liquid he used that morning. His crimson eyes met her forest for what seemed like a second, before he reached over and grabbed her right hand. Her eyes widened as he did so and just as he rose the small bottle over her hand, they widened even more; almost full of fear.

"Wha-What are you doing?"

The witch tried to jerk her hand away, but Soul held it tight and dripped the contents of the bottle onto her burnt hand. Then, after putting it back into his pocket, he rubbed it in real quick for her before anything else could happen. As soon as he let go of her hand, it flung back to be held in the other; her eyes watching him curiously and full of confusion. "That was a recipe my mother made." Soul told her as she shifted into a different position. "It heals the burn you get from a Lightning Bug side affect. Since your hands were burnt, I thought that maybe—" There was a flash of white; causing him to shut his trap. Then, out of nowhere, the white haired boy felt a force push him back, flinging him across the pond and slam against a boulder. What had hit him?

"V-Void...Element?"

The witch stood up from the other side of the pool and began walking toward him. She even stepped in the water and kept on making her way over. Her wand slipped out of her sleeve and the surface began to glow a bright white color. Then, lightning bolts surrounded it and shot towards him; causing him to lean back against the boulder even more. 'Lightning?' Soul thought as the witch held the wand in his face. He could feel the static shock just barely on the tip of his nose. 'Lightning is light!...That means it's a part of the void…right? Since when was void an actual element!' He shut his eyes as the wand began to glow more intensely and he waited for the pain.

_Zap_

The only shock he received was a small zap on the nose; causing his eyes to open. The witch was…smiling at him? Before he could say anything, her wand went back into her sleeve and she stood up straight to walk away. With a swing of her finger, her hat lifted into the air and fell onto her head lightly. She then lifted her large coat into the air and put that on over her strange black, brown and white outfit before finally turning towards the waterfall. He lifted a brow as she made her way over to it, and soon, oddly enough, she disappeared under the falls. Soul stood up, watched the water for a moment, and then finally, passed out for the last time that day.

* * *

><p>If y'all havn't noticed...<p>

This is based on a movie.  
>0-0<br>Do you know which one?  
>I will love you forever if you do<p>

- Is the outfit Maka's wearing familiar?  
>its this~ www. theanimegallery .comimage/93763 [Get rid of the spaces between www and the, annd gallery and .com]]


	3. Chapter 3

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 3

RockOnFolks :D

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you man…Void doesn't exist."<p>

"Oh, I'm sure it does."

"Black*Star, Soul! Pay attention!"

"Yes sir!"

Both boys, after their argument, dove to the side and rolled up to a wooden table with weapons spread across it. Black*Star grabbed a double wielded chain scythe instantly and cart wheeled away with a large smile as Soul stared at the many different weapons. Today was their first day in fighting an actual witch within the arena, and Stein took the pleasure into not even explaining anything. He didn't tell them what kind of witch it was, what kind of weapon would be good to use against her, and he never told them _'when' _the witch was going to come out from behind the wooden door at the far end of the arena. Stein just decided to tell them that he was going to open it at any given time to see if they were paying attention or not.

'This isn't right…' Soul thought; grabbing a large two handed sword from the wooden table. 'They're treating these witches like caged animals…' His crimson eyes fell upon the door that kept him and the witch apart. He was pretty sure that this wasn't a "Class B" but he still hoped that it was at least a _'weak' _"Class C". They were strong even though they were at the bottom. And Soul wasn't very experienced in fighting witches…so knowing what to do, wasn't really in his head at the moment.

"You think Void exists too?"

Startled, Soul looked to his left to see his classmate Patty who at the moment was holding a short sword with her very weird smile on her face. He slowly nodded and the smile—if all possible—grew larger. "Wow really? So I'm not the only one!" He looked away as the girl went on about many things people didn't believe were true while she did. He was way too tired to be paying much attention anyway, let alone fight a damn witch. "And you know, my own sister doesn't even believe me about void! It kinda pisses me off—" The door slammed open, and all eyes flung themselves to look over to it. For a moment all they saw was darkness behind the door, but soon, something black and round bounced out and made its way over to where Patty and Soul stood. As Soul narrowed his eyes at it, Patty smiled and knelt down. "Aww…it's a giant tad pole! It looks so cute—"

"What?" Soul gasped as he knelt down to grab her by the shoulders. "Patty move!" Without really realizing it, the blond girl nodded and moved just as he said, and right at the same time, the giant black tadpole exploded into a large fireball; causing the arena to be filled with a thick smoke. "A frog witch eh?" The white haired boy muttered as he gripped the sword tightly with both hands. His crimson eyes scanned the area; only to see that he was the only one of his classmates in sight at the moment. He was alone in that small area…or at least at the moment he was.

"Geko."

Quickly, Soul spun around; still holding up his sword. But, now that he was hearing the same sound over and over again, he began to panic. He gulped down the lump in his throat, and took a step backward. He couldn't hear anyone other than the witch. He knew it was her just by the way she was laughing—no—she was chuckling, sneering, and it was all evil, in every way she was heard. Soul spun around again; holding the large sword with semi-pride. He was beginning to lose it. And it was only his first witch! He couldn't hear any battle going on between the other classmates, he couldn't hear the up roaring laugh of his cocky blue haired friend, and his teacher's voice became silent. What on earth was happening?

"Geko."

Once more, Soul spun around, and this time the sword wasn't held up to air, but a woman in a tall orange hat, polka dotted dress and white boots. Her narrow lips spread into a smile. "Bravo…" She then said before swinging her long silver hair back over her shoulder. "You seem to be the only one I can find…I'm Eruka. Geko…" She croaked; keeping her long narrow grin on her face. "Who might you be little human?" She then asked. Soul grinned right on back; bearing the shark like teeth he owned underneath his lips.

"Soul Eater Evans."

"S-Soul Eater?" Eruka gasped with shock plastered all over her face. But before she could say anything else, Soul charged in her direction with his sword raised. Biting her lip, Eruka jumped away from the sword as it came down and crushed the living daylights out of the ground beneath. Then with a snap of her fingers, a giant tadpole appeared beneath her so she could fly. "Geko…" Her eyes wandered as he walked around the smoky arena. "Boy!" She called; causing him to stop and look up. "Why did you just call yourself Soul Eater?" She then asked; pure detest in her eyes. Soul grinned and threw his sword up and at the tadpole she sat upon. With a growl, Eruka snapped her fingers; causing it to disappear. And then, with her own two feet, she stepped on the blade and pushed it right back down to him; the ground breaking into pieces where the boy once stood. After all that, Eruka landed nicely on the ground below and set a hand on her hip.

"What's it to you?" He shouted, grabbing the sword again.

Soul came charging out of the cloud of debris from the floor's climax. He held the large weapon with both hands up and ready to swing down and strike, but being the witch that she is, Eruka held up her wand, muttered out an incantation and with a bright yellow glow of the magical stick, more tadpoles appeared around him. The white haired boy stopped running and before he could react further, the tadpoles exploded into their own little mini balls of flame. "Because…geko…" Eruka began; still holding her wand up in case something were to happen. "Soul Eater is that scythe we've all been trying to get!"

"Well, my parents named me after it!"

Hearing the shout from behind her, Eruka turned around with a gasp and held out her wand; only to get it slapped away. She glared at the young witch hunter in training and used her hands to grab the blade in his hand. Then with a large jerk, she pulled it right out of his hands and tossed it aside. Soul looked at the sword as it slid out of his view into the cloud of smoke. He then grinned and looked at her; one eye shadowed for his own "cool" effect. "That's ok…" He mumbled; causing her eyes to widen slightly. "I can still fight with my fists…" The witch gasped as he threw a punch and soon she found herself dodging kicks and punches from all over. She ended up doing a few back hand springs, and soon found her wand again. She picked it up, held it high and swung it around a few times to clear the cloud and make their vision better.

"There she is!"

Almost immediately, the other classmates began to help with the fight. Black*Star jumped in front of Eruka with his chain scythe and swung it, but she dodged with a cartwheel to the side. Then Patty and Liz came in with their short swords and began to swing it at the witch as well, but she dodged every single swing and even found a way to get them both to run into each other. "Geko." Eruka croaked; jumping up on the ledge above the door to look around the arena. Over on the other side, Soul was taking his time picking his large sword back up. So to take care of him, she held up her wand, said an incantation, and a large tadpole as big as the one she had been on top of moments ago appeared in front of him. His eyes widened as everyone's eyes locked on him.

"Crap! Not cool!"

"Soul!"

The explosion knocked Soul off his feet and he was slammed into the nearest wall so hard that a few chunks of the wall toppled over onto his head and down to the ground. He coughed a few times, wiped his lip off with his jacket sleeve and looked up as someone stepped forward and in front of him. But to his dismay…it was Eruka; holding a detonating tadpole in one hand and her glowing wand in the other. She looked angry too…almost pissed. "Just die!" She snapped; holding the wand and tadpole up to his face. But just as she went to set it off, someone grabbed both of her wrists, swung her around to hold her arms behind her back and then slammed her against the wall.

"That's enough "Class C" Witch, Eruka." Stein snapped as he held her hands behind her back to prevent her escape. The witch croaked once more until he used his new Lightning Bug to send her back into the door where she was before the fight. And then he looked at Soul as the others gathered around. "Listen to this Soul." Soul looked up to his sensei as the older man pulled his cigarette out of his mouth. "A witch will _'always' _go for the kill." He said to him; now looking at both of them. "She will never leave a battle field if she isn't leaving a dead opponent behind, understood?" They all nodded to him. "A witch will never hold back. She _'will' _kill you if she gets the chance…but, other than that…" Stein pushed his glasses back in check and smiled lightly to the group. "For your first time…that was pretty good…Class Dismissed."

"Yes! We get out early today!"

While everyone else began walking inside, Soul kept still in the spot he sat—he even kept his elbow up where it was when he had first crashed against the wall. "If that's true…" He then mumbled to himself before looking at the hand that was still healing from the burn he received. "Why…" His eyes narrowed; remembering the moment between him and the "Class B" witch. She had so many chances where she could have got up and killed him in an instant with her magic. She was even able to use Void if his assumption was true. She could have killed him at least two or three times…so… "Why didn't you?"

"Hey Soul, you ok?"

Said boy looked up and saw Black*Star with his hands on his hips; looking down on him with his "godly" eyes. Soul grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He then said to the other hunter in training. Black*Star grinned right back and held out a hand—which Soul took—to help his friend up. "I'm thinking about going straight home…so if you see my brother, just tell him that ok?" Soul then asked as he and Black*Star walked down the hallway.

"The great "I" will not forget, I swear!"

"Good…"

Soul wanted to get home early, because he had some… "Important"…things to do…

~V O I D~

Cutting and cleaning the roses wasn't Roselin's favorite thing to do, since she didn't much like harming the flowers that grew around her home, but she did it anyway. She had to if she wanted her home to look nice and beautiful to other eyes. She liked a nice clean house—inside and out—so doing the gardening was something on her must do list. "There…all done." Roselin stated to herself; cutting one last rose and setting it into the basket she had beside her. She tilted her head to the side to take in the beauty of her back yard rose bush and soon nodded in approval. People may have not been able to see the backyard of their home, but she still needed to do her thing back there too.

Above her, Roselin heard something slide open and she looked up to see Soul's window. It was wide open to reveal the bedroom behind, and soon her youngest son was revealed to be jumping over the window sill. Her eyes widened as he grabbed the pipe, and they grew even more as he slid down it. And then, when he hit the large bush at the bottom to roll and stand back up, she found herself standing as well with her hand over her mouth. "Dear lord Soul!" She then wailed; causing him to flinch in surprise and look her way. Nervously he began to laugh lightly and rub the back of his head.

"Oh, H-Hey there…Mom."

"Soul what were you thinking!" Roselin shouted; pointing at his window. "Is this how you've been leaving the house?" She then asked with a hard stare in his direction. Soul shook his head and her hand dropped back down to her side. "Look at how far down that is! You could have broken your little legs!" She nearly began to cry as she ran over and grabbed his hands. "Do you have any idea how badly that would hurt? Just think of it Soul! What if I wasn't even out here and you ended up killing yourself—"

"Mother, calm yourself please!" Soul pleaded; cupping her small face with his hands. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." He then said to her. Then with a small smile, he took his hands away and wiped one of her tears away with his thumb. "Besides…I already did that this morning to go look around the woods—"

"YOU WHAT?"

Soul flinched and dodged a flying fist before holding up his hands in innocence. "Mother, listen to me, hold on!" He then said. Roselin lifted a brow and set her fists on her hips; leaning in with that usual angry look in her eyes. "This morning when you were taking your bath…I went for a walk in the woods behind the house." He pointed to the forest over his shoulder with his thumb. "I found a nice waterfall and thought that it would be a nice place to write my song a little bit…so…" He reached to his side, unclipped a notebook from his special holder and held it up. "I was actually going to head back out there and write…just now."

"And you couldn't use the back door?"

"I wasn't planning on being seen…"

"Is that so?"

"Yes ma'am."

Roselin crossed her arms and lifted a brow at her son as he put the notebook back in its special holder. "So, is this "waterfall" the reason you were late to training this morning?" She then asked; causing him to gasp. "Because I got a call that you arrived super late through the back entrance's gate. The gate that leads to the forest." Once again Soul felt a little nervous and let out a light laugh; looking away aimlessly. "Explain…"

"Uh…"

_-"So Mr. Evans isn't here today?" Stein asked as he and the students of the class stood around in the back area of the school, near the arena. Everyone looked around and shook their heads to confirm, and with a sigh, the teacher marked Soul absent on his check list. But then they all heard the sound of a gate and all looked at the fence that separated them from the forest. Stepping through the back gate, Soul Evans came with hair standing on end as if he had just been shocked. He even limped a little on his way to come stand with the other students. "Uh…mind telling me why you were late Mr. Evans?"_

_"Oh…I…" Soul began; wiping his hair down with his hands. "I…went for a walk you see," He then began as everyone leaned over a little to listen. "And I found this waterfall…" His hand dropped and—still trying to be the cool guy he was—he put his hands in his pockets. "And I passed out." Stein lifted a brow as many students asked why in wonder. So, quickly, the musician of an unknown instrument, made something up. "I…passed out because…because of an electric eel." He nodded an agreement with himself and began patting his hair back down even more. "It was…a fresh water electric eel…that's why, I'm all… static like… and stuff…" Black*Star began to laugh at him, so Soul looked at him, held up a finger and poked the other kid, sending on an electrical charge._

_"OW!"-_

"It…it was a fresh water electric eel…."

"What…?"

Soul shook his head from the light trance he was in and held up his hands. "Never mind…" he then said to her confused self. "…Can you please let me go?" He asked; clapping his hands together and falling to his knees as if he was praying to god. "I promise that I won't get shocked by the eel again! I'll stay out of the water! I swear!" Roselin put on a puzzled look as he came closer with his little praying act. He took her hands and tried to his best to look cute. Which was not cool at all. "Please Mommy?"

That got her.

"Fine." Roselin said; causing him to smile, stand and throw his hands in the air to cheer. "But Soul," she then said to stop him in his tracks. "Please be careful around that waterfall ok?" He nodded and went to go but she called for him again. "And be back before dinner!" She received a wave over the shoulder and then called out one more time. "And just to let you know! There aren't any electric eels in this whole country!"

* * *

><p>Sorry for the lateness -w-<p>

I'm sooooo obsessed with RPing, its not even funny anymore 8D


	4. Chapter 4

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 4

RockOnFolks :D

* * *

><p>Arriving at the waterfall, Soul glanced around the area. He looked over to where the witch had been sleeping and then he looked over to the stone where she had shocked him with her void attack. His pure white brow lifted into the air as he then looked at the waterfall itself. She had stepped through it last time he saw her. But where in the world could she have really gone? Was there something on the other side of it? Or was he just going mad? "Guess I'll have to climb over it…" He muttered to himself, realizing he didn't want to get wet in fear that his mother would notice that he was in the water again. He walked over to the stone wall that towered over him and took hold of the nearest stone.<p>

Unlike he feared, the rock he grabbed didn't break, so he was free to keep on climbing to the top of the tall stone wall. Lucky for him, the stones soon became boulders, making it much easier to climb up the wall. But, just as it did in movies and such, the surface did break and crumble, though he was still able to get to the top. Soul used his knees to stand up on the top, and once he stood up straight, he caught site of the other part of the river that ran through that forest. But instead of being one stream that flowed straight into the waterfall, it was horizontal to it and looked as if it was flowing from two different directions.

"The hell…?"

Soul quirked a brow for the second time before eying a trail of stones atop the water's surface. Curiously taking a step forward, he found himself walking across the stepping stones and over to the other side of the small river before looking right to see another waterfall. "What?" There was a river flowing from two different directions and a waterfall on each side of the large rock wall. And on the other side of the wall, there was some kind of canyon with its own pool of water made from the falls. "This is one whacked up waterfall…" he finally muttered to himself with a large sigh as he shut eyes. He opened his crimson eyes again and walked a little closer to the edge to look down on the canyon for a better look. He caught sight of a fire pit near the riverbank and a brown hat rested on top of a nearby stone. The hat was familiar of course…it belonged to the witch.

"She lives here…?"

Just as Soul muttered out those words he caught sight of a small house on the opposite side of the hidden canyon. It was close to the base of the large wall and looked big enough for only one person—maybe two if they both slept in the same bed. "So…if she lives in this canyon…where is she now…?" His crimson eyes glanced around the area and soon caught sight of a window opening on the side of the house. He sat down, took his notebook off his special holder and grabbed a pen from his pocket. Soul then stared as something that resembled a garbage can flew out and crashed against the nearest boulder. Then what looked like a million papers flew out as well and fell upon the earth. And after that happened, the witch finally poked her head out to throw out her wand and mutter something, but immediately stopped herself.

"AW, DAMN IT!" The "Class B" witch screamed as she disappeared back inside. As Soul curiously watched, he tapped the paper with his pen. He felt that maybe—just maybe—this witch could inspire him to write _'something'_. "Damn humans and their rotten stealing…" The witch growled as she walked out her front door. She slammed it shut with her foot and walked over to look at the garbage she had just thrown out. "I can't get rid of you until I get my spell book back!" Soul lightly gasped and—looking down at his notebook—he realized how important a spell book was to a witch. Without it she practically couldn't do anything.

'She could try throwing it out like a normal kid…' Soul thought as she dragged all the paper over to her fire pit. 'But I guess that wouldn't really work since she doesn't really have contact with the city's garbage men…' Unknowing to him, the witch glanced up as she blasted the wood with some fire to light the papers she had thrown out. Immediately she saw him and narrowed her eyes in wonder and disgust at the same time. 'This witch needs her spell book back…and I know where it is…' Smiling to himself, Soul knew what he wanted to do. He knew exactly how to get this witch's trust. 'I return the book to her…come back for visits often…and soon she'll trust me enough to let me get close enough to turn her in. Easy way out of killing her…cool plan Mr. Evans—'

"What are you doing?"

"AH!" Soul screamed in surprise and flung back from where he was sitting. The sandy blond witch's head had appeared out of nowhere in front of him—telling him that she was either floating or hanging off the ledge. Quickly, he sat up and set a hand on his head. "What the hell! Don't do that, it scared the living shit out of me!" He then yelled at her. The witch just narrowed her eyes with a frown before glancing over to the notebook he had dropped. Lifting a brow in curiosity, her hovering body rose so she could reach better and with her right hand, she opened it to the first page. Soul wasn't really paying attention to that though…he was curious on how her hand looked. It looked better…but _'was' _it? "Uh…how's your hand? Is it still burnt—"

"Just a little." The witch answered quickly before picking the notebook up completely. Soul gasped; realizing what she had and stood up to grab it from her hands but she hovered away and out of his reach. If he had taken any step closer to her, he would have fallen into the canyon. "What's this?" She then asked him as he reached forward to take it from her. "You're…a musician?" Her forest green eyes looked at him before going back to the musical notes written on the paper. "What kind of instrument do you play? Guitar? Drums? Trumpet? Piano? Violin—"

"That's none of your business!"

The witch glanced back over to him as he looked around for a way to take the notebook from her. She then sighed, shrugged and tossed it back over to him before crossing her arms. "Whatever," she then said as he carefully put it back in his special holder. "I don't even care…" then with another sigh, she said: "I don't even know why I'm talking to you. You're a human, you've threatened me with a knife in the past and…" Her large eyes seemed to narrow into a piercing glare. "You people have my Spell Book: another thing of mine that does _'not' _belong to you!"

"Another?" Soul asked curiously as she clenched her fists in anger. Her eyes widened almost instantly and almost as quickly as they widened, they narrowed and she looked away with another cross of her arms. Then, she lifted her left hand and snapped; causing her body to disappear in mid-air. "Wh-what? Hey!" He looked around and over to the fire pit, but she wasn't there. He then looked at the small house, but it didn't look like she was anywhere near that. "She's just a little frustrating…" He then said with slight sarcasm in his voice. Then with a roll of his eyes, he turned around and began to walk away—but stopped mid-step. "Her Spell Book…does she want it that badly…?" he then mumbled to himself. Looking back over his shoulder, Soul narrowed his eyes. But once he noticed the sky's change in color, he quickly turned back around and ran for home. He'd be murdered if his mother saw him soaked.

So, Soul quickly, but carefully made his way down the rock wall and soon found himself running up the large forest hill. He climbed over a few fallen trees, and jumped over a small creek before reaching the end of the woods. The point where all the trees stopped and led into a grassy hill where his home stood on it's own with no neighbors within hundreds of feet. But alas, it had already begun to rain and the down pour had soaked him and every single dry spot upon him. Thank god, he had a special holder for the notebook or it would have been wet as well. "Here goes…" The white haired boy breathed as he made his way over to the mansion. He came up to the closest window and opened it before looking inside.

Inside was a room that resembled a classroom. It had a board on the far wall, a desk or two, and one large desk in the far corner. The only thing different was that there was a violin leaning on it's stand in the other corner. That was his brother's violin, and it was also his brother's practicing room. Soul's practicing room didn't have a window or any small desks, it only had his instrument, and one large desk on the far wall where he could brainstorm on music. But lately, he had been doing that in his bedroom instead. Soul felt like going in that room…was impure…he didn't like the feeling he got when entering it…not anymore that is.

"Hope no one's home…" Soul muttered to himself as he lifted himself into the windowsill. He then hopped inside and turned around to shut the window before turning to walk over to the door. Once it was open he slipped into the hallway and turned right; only to face another door. He took hold of the handle and opened that one as well, letting his crimson eyes come into view for anyone who could have been on the other side. But no one was in that hallway, so quickly, Soul made his way into the main hall and over to the stairs. He charged up the steps and turned left, ran passed the bathroom, and soon came to his parent's bedroom door. He stood before it for only a moment, until he let his hand fall upon the handle.

"Mother? Father…?" Soul called as he creaked the wooden door open slowly. Oddly enough, they weren't in there even if it was the middle of the day. He was lucky. He probably would have never been able to get in if they had been there. Mentally crossing his fingers that his parents weren't just hiding in there, he walked in and made his way over to the mirror. His hand pressed against the surface and he pushed it open to reveal the secret room that they put their findings in. Then quietly, Soul walked in and looked around the shelves. "M…M…" He repeated as he looked for the witch's Spell Book.

Seeing a book on the furthest table, he walked over and examined it's holding glass. His father had actually put it in a glass box that had a lock. "Damn it!" Soul cursed; looking around for something to break it. He grabbed an old wand off a nearby shelf and pointed it at the box. But nothing happened, of course, so angrily, he hit the box with the tip of the wooden wand. The glass cracked. "Useless piece of junk," he tossed it to the side and grabbed a long metal looking pipe that was supposed to pass as a witch's broomstick. After dragging it over to the glass box, Soul lifted it into the air and threw it down on the holding case.

The glass shattered.

"Yes!" Soul threw the metal broomstick aside and grabbed the glass covered Spell Book; cutting his hands on the way. With no yelp in pain at all, he turned around and ran out of the room. Once he was out, he leaned on the mirror to shut it, and then with a look around, he ran over to the door to slip out into the hallway. Then, as if he was being chased, the white haired musician ran down the hall and into his room. He made it. He wasn't caught…but he knew he'd get caught eventually. He probably had a trail of water behind him from being soaked by the rain, and since his hands were now bleeding, he probably had a small trial of blood leading to his room from the secret mirror room. Hiding the Spell Book under his bed, Soul bit his lip and looked around for something to put over his hands. First he had to clean them…and then he had to cover them up till they were healed. "Gloves should do the trick…"

~V O I D~

"Why are you wearing gloves?"

Soul glared at Black*Star, who was standing at his right in the arena. They were in the middle of a battle against a witch and the damn kid just had to notice the gloves at _'that' _moment! "I'm…cold." He growled at the blue haired boy; causing him to narrow his eyes. He opened his mouth to ask something, but with a gasp, Soul rolled to the side. "Watch it!" He then called as he came to a stop. The witch they had been fighting for the past ten minutes was a "Class C" of course. She was a witch called Mizune, who specialized in mice. The term "mice" wasn't on Soul's good side, and neither was it on Liz's good side. She was standing on the weapon table with a frightened look on her face the whole time; just swinging her short sword back and forth frantically.

"Chi, Chi, Chi."

"Why do all witches have to make sounds?" Soul yelled as the short pink haired Witch appeared in his view. Her whiskers began to glow bright pink and they extended until they touched both sides of the arena. Soul grasped the two handed sword he held and glared at her as she came closer; tearing the wall apart with the ends of the whiskers. "Alright…whiskers equal bad." He told himself as she came closer. "Note to self: Stay away from her whiskers." With that, the white haired witch hunter dove and rolled under the witch. Then he stood up behind her and swung the blade around. But she spun around as well causing him to bend backwards and make a bridge with his body. If he hadn't of done it, the witch would have cut his head off.

"Soul!"

Said boy didn't have time after the witch turned around, but he still looked to the left to see Liz and the table upside down. For a moment he thought that Mizune was doing it, but then he remembered that he was upside down. Speaking of the witch, his crimson eyes caught sight of her getting ready to pierce him with his own sword, but Black*Star appeared with a large and confident grin on his face. "The great "I" will save you!" He yelled as he dropped his chain scythe on the ground. "Black*Star Big Wave!" He then called as he dove forward and hit Mizune with his fist and elbow at the same time; causing her to launch towards the wall.

Immediately, Soul got to his feet and picked up his sword. Then, he charged forward, holding it up and ready to swing. He was yelling along with his run. And as soon as he found himself in front of the pink haired witch, he went to finally swing it, but stopped. Mizune was giving him that look…the same look that the "Class B" had given him when he tried to kill her the other day. "Why…why must you look at me like that?" He asked her; causing her to lift a brow. But soon, with a grin, her pink glowing wand slipped from her stripped dress and pointed at him.

"Soul!"

Once more his name was called, but instead of getting blasted, their sensei, Stein grabbed her wand and picked her small body up to take her back to the holding room. "I think that's enough." Their sensei called from the door as he shut it on the witch. He turned around to face the others and smiled; taking out a cigarette to smoke. "You all did great, go on home before your parents freak out." Everyone but Black*Star and the sisters nodded and walked away. They were orphans…they didn't have parents to go home to. But they did walk away, because they _'did' _have homes. "Soul, you did much better."

"Thank you sir." Soul said back as he set the long sword on the wooden table. He agreed that he did better, but he still felt like something was wrong. Why couldn't he attack the witch? Why did he freeze up when he went to kill her, like the time he froze up when he went to kill the "Class B" from the woods? "Sir…I didn't deal the finishing blow…" He muttered out as Stein set some scattered weapons on the table as well. "I'm sorry…" He looked up and lifted a brow at his student. Then, with a sigh, he shook his head.

"We're not trying to kill them Soul." Stein said; causing Soul to look up from the table. "That's _'why' _I stopped the fight. So you wouldn't end up killing her." He took the cigarette from his lips and looked over to the wall where Soul and Mizune were facing each other. "Or so she wouldn't end up killing _'you' _in this case." Soul only rolled his eyes and began to walk away while Stein fell deep into thought. "Maybe I should dissect one of them…just to see what witches look like in the inside…" As Stein let out a strange giggle, Soul eyed him from the arena gates. Then with a sigh and shake of his head, he left.

"See ya, you nut case."

~V O I D~

Once Soul entered his home he looked both right and left before even taking one step forward. He felt like he needed to be more cautious around the mansion because of what he did the day before. He felt as if someone was watching him now. As if his mother and father knew exactly what he had done, even during dinner the night before, when Roselin had asked why he had gloves on, he felt as if she already knew the reason and was just teasing him…playing with him…toying with his mind; slowly getting him closer to the point where he'd confess his sins to them all.

It drove him crazy…he felt like going insane.

He needed to get the book out of the house.

And that was exactly what he was planning on doing.

Shutting the door behind him, Soul made his way over to the stairs; still making sure his crimson eyes looked around for any sort of movement. At the foot of the stairs he stared at his mother's bathroom sign hung up on the door handle. That told him she was in there taking one of her long and relaxing baths that she always had fun talking about with her friends. It also told him that he had a chance to get out of there through the window like he had been the last couple days. So, finally moving after what seemed like forever, the white haired boy made his way over to his bedroom and opened the door to step inside.

"Little brother, you sure take your time getting home."

Jumping about five feet in the air, Soul whipped his head around to see his older brother sitting at the desk in the corner of his room. Angry, the younger of the two ground his teeth. "Wes!" He hissed as the other white haired man rolled one of Soul's pencils on the desktop. "What the hell are you doing in my room!"

"Watch your mouth." Wes snapped with a hardened glare before getting to his feet. "I was just…curious about something." He then said as he made his way over to his little brother. Soul took a step back as Wes approached. Something told him that he wasn't going to like what was about to happen. "I saw blood on the carpet last night when I was walking down the hall." Soul's eyes widened. "And then…I see that little brother's wearing gloves…you want to tell me something Soul?"

"No!" Soul snapped at his older brother. "Now get out of my room!" He reached over to open the door, but Wes snatched up his hand and pulled him closer. "Wes, Let go!" Instead of listening to his younger brother, Wes used his free hand to pull the glove off of Soul's; revealing the healing cuts and scratches upon his skin. Wes's crimson eyes snapped up into the eyes of his sibling and he lifted a brow. "I-I wounded them when I fought against a witch the other day…there's nothing to worry about!" Soul pulled his hand away and pointed at the door. "Now, get out!"

"As you wish…"

Soul glared hard as he watched his brother leave the room, and soon as he was in the hall, he found himself slamming the door shut angrily. He grabbed the glove and put it back on before turning around and walking over to his bed. Then, he got down on his knees, pulled the sheets up and pulled out the Spell Book that belonged to the witch who lived in the woods. He stood back up, set the book into his backpack and opened the window that hung above his bed. "This better be worth it." He then said to himself; hopping out and grabbing the pole to slide down to the earth below. Once he was touching ground again, he took off running; hoping that the witch wouldn't kill him.

Because Soul knew…if something were to happen…he wouldn't be able to kill her.

* * *

><p>Ahhh Sorry for the late update!<p>

I'm in a play so my plans on getting home to work on my writing has been...delayed? I dunno, I've been getting home much later than usual because of it, so I havn't had much time to write.

Sorry!

Hope you enjoy none the less...


	5. Chapter 5

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Why was it so hard to get over that cliff? Soul didn't know…it was just frustrating and hard. He growled to himself as he hopped over the rocks in the river, and he grumbled curse words to himself as he cautiously climbed down the other side; losing his grip and nearly falling every once in awhile. But once he was on the other side of the waterfall and behind a couple of boulders, he knew he was safe…for the moment that is. He had seen the Witch sitting by the fire pit, examining her hand when he was up above. He was lucky that she hadn't noticed him climbing—and falling might he add—down the rock wall on the other side of the small lake.<p>

He gulped back the lump in his throat. It was now or never…

Soul stepped out from the rocks and eyed her as he made his way over to the bridge of grass that was formed over the small sized lake. He was getting closer and closer to her and he was surprised that she still hadn't noticed him. He almost felt like turning back and going home before she even did. Soon that didn't even matter, however, because she had taken out her wand and pointed it over her shoulder; confirming that she had noticed his presence. The white haired musician cursed sourly under his breath as the Witch kept her back to him, but her wand in place.

"Why have you come here? _Again_?"

"I…Uh…" Soul stuttered as he tried to find his words. He pondered about as the sandy blond witch slowly rose to her feet. And then finally, she turned to face him; holding her wand up high to reveal that she was still going to hurt him probably no matter what he said. "I...I think I have something that belongs to you." He finally said; causing her to stop in her tracks. Her wand lowered and she gave him a cautious but still curious look. "You attacked the City because of this, didn't you?" Asking this, Soul shrugged his backpack over his shoulder so he could open it. He then reached inside and pulled out the large Spell Book; causing the bag to fall to the ground. "This is your spell book…isn't it?"

The Witch's eyes widened and she immediately let her guard down. "Wh-Where did you get that?!"

"My parents were the ones who took it from you." Soul confessed as he took another step toward her. "I felt that it wasn't fair for you. So…" He held the book out to her before putting on one of his toothy grins; his other hand firmly placed in his pocket. "I stole it from them, and I brought it back to you." The Witch stared at him in disbelief before furrowing her brows, perplexed at his behavior.

"But…you're a witch hunter aren't you? Why are you helping me?"

"If you don't want it, I'll just have to take it back—"

"_No_!"

In a quick second, the witch had taken the book from his hands and slammed it down on the top of his head before pulling back to hug it close. Soul's hands sprung up to grab his head as the pain struck into his skull. What the hell did she just do?! Did she really just hit him with a _'book'_?! "That is called a Maka-Chop." The witch said as she turned profile to him; a lip out to show that she was pouting. "I don't need any magic or spell books for that." Soul looked up from the ground and gave out another grin.

"Is that your name?" He asked slowly. "…Maka?"

"Huh?!" She nearly screamed in surprise as her face turned red and then turned away from him. Soul grinned even more and stood up straight to put one hand in his pocket and the other out to her. It was then when she noticed his behavior to be rather odd again. The Witch glanced over to his hand and then looked back up at him, eyebrows creased together. "…What are you doing?"

"Soul Eater Evans."

"Soul Eater…Evans?" Maka repeated his name almost in a whisper; receiving a nod from the lazy musician. Her fingers twitched and finally pried themselves away from the book so her right hand could reach over to his. But, only inches away from his fingers, her hand stopped and she almost considered pulling away. This was a witch hunter. What was she thinking?! She should have killed him by now! What was she doing just standing there with her hand outstretched to take his?! He could have had some kind of trap waiting for her.

Maka looked up into his crimson eyes as he waited patiently. "I…Uh…" Ignoring her inner thoughts, the Witch quickly took his hand and shook it with all of her might. "I'm Maka Albarn!"

Just as she yelled her name, her hand pulled away and she disappeared from existence; causing him to look around in surprise. "Uh…where'd you go?" Soul called as his hand stayed put where he had held hers just a few moments before. "Maka?" He curiously glanced around the area as he searched for her presence, and when his eyes fell upon the rock she had been sitting on earlier he noticed her green eyes curiously peeking over from the other side. He brought his hand back down to his side and then set it in his pocket as she watched him sternly; her fingers visible as if she was peeping. "Well uh…I guess I'll go home then."

"It's damaged."

Soul stopped himself from turning around and looked back over to her as she held the book up above her head; her face still only halfway visible behind the rock. "What is?" He asked her; not noticing the book at first. Her eyes glared and she swung the book back and forth to really get his attention

"_This_ is, idiot."

He gave her a questionable gaze. "Oh—well, I don't know why…you can fix it can't you?" The Witch stood up and opened the book all the way to inspect it. Then, slowly and cautiously, Soul began to walk over to her; nearly regretting each step as he took it. Just because he knew her name and just because she accepted the book didn't mean that she still wouldn't kill him if he wasn't careful.

"Look!" Maka snapped; causing him to nearly jump from his skin. She turned to face him and held up the book to point to a certain page. "This is the page that helps heal my hand! But it's torn!" She then said to him as he brought his hands up to take the book from her's. As she hesitantly let him hold it, he turned his gaze down onto the page and inspected everything over. Just beneath the title of the page where the spell was labeled, the incantation for the healing spell had been torn away. Soul pressed his lips together, knowing that it was probably his parents that had torn it just in case she was to get the book back somehow.

As if she read his mind, the Witch in front of him questioned that thought. "Did your parents…?"

"Maybe…" Soul answered her with a sigh before handing the book back to her. "Maybe not…I'm sorry." Maka took the book from him as he apologized and she shut it with her own sigh. "I wish I could help—" Just as he said this, her forest green eyes snapped open and she looked at him with a large and hopeful smile.

"You can actually!"

"I-I can?"

Maka nodded and jumped onto the rock before doing a back flip and landing next to her small house. Soul then watched her spin around and walk inside so she could disappear within for a minute or so. Then, the door opened again and she ran over to him; holding a few small pieces of paper. After getting a closer look when she came back to his side, he noticed that they were pictures. "Here, do you know who this boy is?" She asked him as she held out one of the photos. Soul looked at it and examined the boy's features. He had somewhat pale skin, golden yellow eyes and short black hair with three white lines that cut across the left side. His eyes widened on spot. "So you do know him?"

"Of course I do!" Soul gasped as he took the photo from her. "This…This is Death the Kid!" He then said; trying his best to keep himself calm. He relaxed himself a bit with a few mental yells and slaps to the face and looked up at her. "He's been missing for almost two years now. He's Shinigami-Sama's son…" Maka nodded and his eyes narrowed in suspicion and even deep puzzlement. "Where did you get this picture?"

She didn't answer him. Instead she went straight to the original point. "I want you to help me bust him out."

"Bust him out of what?" He asked, voice filled with concern.

"Shh!" Maka hissed at him as she brought a finger up to his lips. His mouth shut closed and she leaned back to stand how she was before, but only after she gave the area around them a swift check up. "Death the Kid, yes, he's the son of Shinigami-Sama, who is also the mortal enemy of Mabaa-Sama, my leader." Soul's eyes widened as soon as the Grand Witch's name was said. "She kidnapped him a long time ago and locked him up so that maybe she could get through to Shinigami-Sama somehow. I don't know all the details but it involves them and them only. I'm not even supposed to know what I know…" Maka's eyes narrowed and she put on a look of disgust. "I believe it's not fair at all! I need a human to get into the dungeons and free him…but I haven't been able to capture any."

"Capture?!"

"Look…I'm not capturing you or anything…" Maka said to him as he took a step away from her. "I just thought…that since you said you wish you could help with my book…" She shrugged her shoulders and then smiled sheepishly at him. That was the first time he felt like she was really relaxed around him. It was also the first time he could see that behind that destructive nature as a Witch, she was actually kind of cute. "Help by coming to the Witch Foundation with me so I can get my hand healed, book fixed and get Kid out of our dungeons."

Soul sat there for a moment as she smiled at him and he watched her eyes carefully. She wasn't planning on hurting him was she? Witches were great manipulators, and she was probably just trying to turn him in like he was trying to turn _'her' _in. Did she know that he was just trying to gain her trust for that sort of reason? If so, then maybe he was in danger here after all.

"What do you say?"

Soul shook the thoughts away from his head and nodded. "Y-Yeah sure…"

"Great!" Maka cheered happily before going to take out another photo. Soul watched as she set the other papers down and he felt a crooked grin creep onto his face. This was his chance to get within the Foundation…this was his chance to actually see Mabaa and the other witches without getting attacked. His awesome plan was turning out to work better than he thought…

"Here, hold this." She held the photo out to him after tucking her Spell Book within her coat, and then she grabbed her big brown hat and set it upon her head. As she did that he noticed that the picture was just of a large silver colored wooden door. Just then, Maka took the photo with two fingers and he let go so she could have it. Instead of taking it back, however, Maka just shoved it back to him. "No, we both need to hold it. This is the only way I can teleport a human with me."

"_What_?"

Before he could even finish getting that out, something came over him that seemed like it had the force of a train. He felt nauseous and his fingers nearly slipped off of the photo, but Maka grabbed his hand with her free one to keep him on it. In that quick second of time, he went from being in the cove to standing right in front of the door from the photograph they held. Dizzy, the white haired musician slammed his back against one of the doors as she casually opened the other one. But she soon stopped to look down at him with disappointment in her expression. She honestly thought he would have been able to stomach that a little better. With a sigh, Maka grabbed the human's arm and pulled him inside along with her so he wouldn't get left behind.

"Come on…"

"Wh-Where the hell…did we go?"

"To the Foundation, you idiot." Maka replied as she helped him to his feet and lean against another door somewhere down the hall. "Stand up straight, walk properly and make sure you always listen to what I tell you to do." Soul narrowed his eyes at her as she glanced around the large hallway and when she looked at him again, she could tell he was a bit angry with the idea of acting like a slave. "Listen here," She snapped; holding up her wand in his face. "Each and every witch in this facility will kill you on sight if they see you walking around like a free human." Her green eyes narrowed piercingly and the wand began to glow white at the tip; causing him to go cross eyed for a moment. "Unless you walk around like I have captured you…you will be killed. So I suggest you listen to everything I say…got it?"

"Y-Yea…got it."

"Good…"

The wand faded back into its normal brown mahogany color and Maka grabbed his arm to start down the hall again. "Mabaa is this way." She said to him sternly as they turned a corner within the gothic building. She used one hand to press against a large cement door, but stopped when she realized that he'd never been in front of the Grand Witch before. She turned to him and looked up at him carefully, making sure that he that what she was going to say next was serious. "Do not speak to her. Do not look at her. Do not breathe too heavily. Do not make any sudden movements. And do not, under any circumstance, move unless either she or I tell you to. I'm not sure what she'll do when we walk in there…but please…just let me do all of the talking. If you were to speak out of place, you'd be dead in an instant."

"I'm sure I'll be fine…" He mumbled reassuringly, but it was mostly to convince himself considering her list of rules had scared the young man to death. He was nervous and he could feel his heart beginning to race, but he wouldn't let her know that.

Maka nodded to him and pushed the large doors open fully; only to face a woman with pale white skin and long black hair. She gasped and stood back and out of the woman's way. "A-Arachne…" The "Class B" greeted with a bow; holding Soul's arm firmly in her hand. The other Witch didn't even budge a muscle within her face but she did bow back in respect towards the younger girl. Maka then squeezed Soul's arm and pulled him closer; earning a loud groan of disapproval in return. She held him that way until the Witch Arachne walked past the two of them and they finally managed to slip by. Just before the doors closed behind them, Soul looked over his shoulder and watched the tall woman with spider webbed eyes walk out of his sight. He could feel his eyes shaking just by looking at her. He could tell she was a "Class C" but he could also tell that she wasn't one to be messed with.

"Maka…"

Both he and Maka stopped walking and Soul's head snapped back around to look ahead of them. A short stacked witch sat a few feet above them; just barley hovering over her throne like chair and one eye covered by a cloth as her grey hat towered over her head. Soul felt a lump in his throat and tried to swallow it down. As he did so, he stopped himself from shaking within Maka's grasp. In front of him was the almighty Mabaa-Sama…the leader of all Witches, Shinigami-Sama's mortal enemy, and the most powerful Witch said to be out there…and he was only fifteen feet away from her…as if he was one of the Witches himself.

"Mabaa-Sama," Maka greeted the other Witch with a bow of her head. She then let go of Soul and whispered for him to stay put before walking closer to the almighty Witch. Soul shoved his hands in his pockets and awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other—though this caused for the Grand Witch to look his way with a single eye. Maka, as well as Soul, flinched but managed to smile up at her superior. "M-Mabaa-Sama…he's just a prisoner." She told the almighty Witch; causing her to look away from Soul. "I'm going to take him to the dungeons after I make a few errands."

"…What do you need?"

Soul's felt his body begin to shake again and he shut his eyes to try and relax himself. "You see…this filthy human burnt my hand." Maka began as she stepped closer to the Grand Witch. Soul's eyes snapped open and he glared at the "Class B" as she held out her right hand to be shown. "He also damaged my book so I can't heal it on my own…I need your healing…" Mabaa's dark eye fell upon the musician once more and he nearly passed out from the pressure. Having such a powerful and evil force look upon you…it did _'not' _feel good at all. He felt like he was going to puke. The air around him felt heavy and hot and he could have sworn an invisible force was pushing down on his shoulders. It was like gravity had gotten stronger within these four walls, and his insides turned in a torturous way. It was all because he stood in the same room as the most powerful Witch on record. It wasn't some sort of spell…it was just her mere presence that caused him to nearly fall to his knees where he stood.

"Give me your hand child…"

"Thank you so much, Mabaa-Sama…" Maka breathed out as the Grand Witch took her hand with one and held the other over it. She shut her forest green eyes and waited as a light green light shone above her hand and let off a light humming throughout the room. After regaining his senses, for the most part, Soul watched in wonder…that's what Black*Star meant when he said that the witches looked up to her for healing. She literally _'healed' _them…like a magical doctor, or something. "I'm going to the library now to fix my book," Maka bowed to her leader after it retreated back to the throne. "I apologize for using your time…Let's go human!"

"Uh-Right!"

Soul, with a flinch, began to follow the witch as she turned to walk out of the throne room from a door to their left. He walked by the Grand Witch and tried not to make eye contact, but unfortunately, he saw her eye and his body froze. Suddenly, as if everything he was feeling got worse, He felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt like the weights on his shoulders were pushing him down with each passing second with a much stronger force. He felt like he couldn't lift his foot from the ground; like he was stuck to the floor with super glue. He couldn't even pry his lips apart in attempts to call out to the "Class B" he'd been following around. The witch's eye began to draw him in…he felt his body moving towards her even though his feet were firmly pressed to the ground. What was this feeling that came over him…why couldn't he break away from it? Was this why Maka had told him not to look into the Grand Witch's eye before they entered the room?

"Soul!"

With the loud voice now calling out to him, Soul realized that his arm was reaching out for nothing and they were no longer in Mabaa's throne room. Maka had her hands on his shoulders and was staring at him with angry eyes. Once he started to come back to his senses and realized that it was all an illusion, he was thrown into a wall and a wand was shoved into his face.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" She hissed angrily as he stared at her with dull eyes. He blinked a few times before the life fully returned to him and he opened his mouth to defend himself, but she let go of his shirt, hid the wand and pulled out her spell book. "MAKA-CHOP!" The giant book was smashed against his skull and he fell to the ground in pain; this time receiving much more pain than last time. "Idiot…"

"Ugh…I didn't mean to…"

"Whatever…get up and let's get to the library." Maka snapped as she grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his feet. "At least you were able to make it out of there…" She then said before dragging him down the hall; passing many different shapes and sizes of witches. Soul kept close to her no matter how badly he wanted to stay away…but if it was for the sake of his reputation, his friendship with Kid and the love of his very own father…than he was going to do it. "Inside the library, there's only one librarian…and she's the only Witch in the whole facility that I trust…" He eyed her with lazy, but curious eyes as they round through many turns and doorways. "She'll be able to fix my book and she'll give me the key to Death the Kid's cell…you can do what you want in there as long as there aren't any other witches in there too…"

"G-Got it, I guess…"

After passing another witch or two, they came up to a double doorway made of wood instead of cement. "This is it…" The witch took hold of the handles and opened the doorway to enter the large room. Once it was opened, her forest green eyes scanned the room and saw no one in sight so she and Soul slipped in and shut the door behind them. Soul glanced around the library and lifted his eyebrows in surprise and interest all at the same time. It was a pretty impressive Library…three stories…probably about as large as his mansion on each floor. It was a pretty decent sized place…not like he liked it or anything…he wasn't one for cramming his nose in a book here and there.

"Tsubaki!" Maka called as she walked up to a desk; which in return, a black haired girl appeared from behind covered in dust. Soul glanced over as she watched the other Witch cough and sway her hand back and forth while Maka approached with a light hearted giggle. "Oh, Tsubaki, are you trying to clean the old ones again?" She asked as she leaned on the desk; receiving a light laugh and nod in return from the other young woman.

"Ju-Just trying to do my job…" Tsubaki then said to the other Witch; not even noticing the human in the room. But then after a moment or so of giggling, her indigo eyes lied upon him and she smiled. "Oh! Who is this? A human?" She then asked; causing Soul to look over to Maka with an unsure gaze. The forest green eyed Witch nodded to him and then motioned for him to walk over, so he did of course. "Hello there, my name is Tsubaki Nakatsukasa." The black haired Witch greeted with her hand out. Soul hesitantly took it and shook. "I'm a "Class C" with the element of flowers."

"Oh…Black*Star mentioned that there was a Camellia Witch…" Soul mumbled to himself; causing them to give curious stares. His eyes widened when he realized that he'd spoken of his classmate and immediately took it back. "I-I mean! Soul E-Evans…" He gave a bit of a nervous chuckle, continuing to shake the woman's hand. When their hands then finally parted, he shoved both of his in his pockets and looked away, embarrassed. He would have to go find something to do around the library to keep his mind off of that.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Tsubaki said this to him with a kind smile despite his mannerisms, and while he slowly made his way over to the bookshelves, Maka narrowed her eyes at him in hopes that he wouldn't screw anything else up. "Do you need anything Maka-Chan?" Her friend then asked her before reaching up to brush a little bit of dust off of her shoulder. Her forest green eyes snapped back over to her when she remembered what she was doing there and she took out her spell book to set it down on the desk. Then she slid it towards the Camellia Witch with a hopeful gaze.

"I need your help with this."

"Oh, is it damaged?"

"Yeah actually," Maka answered with a nod; being sure to watch Soul carefully in the corner of her eyes as he examined a nearby bookshelf. "His parents ripped out the healing page…I'll be needing it fixed, pretty please…" Tsubaki let out a soft laugh and nodded before picking up the other witch's spell book and walking away to a back room. So while she waited, Maka made her way over to the musician with a sharp glare. "Soul!" She called out to him with no hesitation; causing him to lazily look over his shoulder from an old printed book he had opened in his hands. She leaned on the bookshelf, crossed her arms, and glared a little more dangerously, only causing him to give a sour look in return. "Why did you tell me your name was Soul _'Eater'_ Evans…and then tell her your name is just Soul Evans?" Soul lifted an eyebrow at her as she then pointed to herself. "Are you just trying to mock me because of your name is so similar to Soul Eater?"

"Mock?" Soul questioned before letting his crimson eyes fall upon the symbol printed on her jacket's shoulder. The cursive "M" came into view with the scythe shape curving behind it. Was that what she was going on about? He felt his eyes narrow and he fell into thought. Why would he mock her about Soul Eater anyway and why was that scythe even a part of her symbol in the first place? There really was no other way of figuring it out, so the red eyed boy looked back up into her eyes which softened as soon as they made contact.

"Maka…" He began curiously, not even closing the book he had open in his hands. "Do you have some kind of connection with Soul Eater?"

* * *

><p>Again, I'm sorry for updating so late<p>

Also sorry if my writing is a bit rusty...I haven't done any writing in quite awhile so I'm just getting back into the hang of it.

Hope you enjoyed some Soul Maka interaction!


	6. Chapter 6

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 6

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><p>For a moment the Witch before him revealed to be taken off guard, but she was back into her angry state in a second and looked away from him defensively. "That is none of your business, <em>human<em>." She spit out the word human in a disgusted way as he continued to watch her silently; his gaze peering over to the symbol again. "Stop it!" Her eyes flickered over and she reached out with her right hand to smack his arm; causing him to jump and let the book he was holding fall to the floor. "Seriously, if this is just to make fun of me, I'm going to hurt you…"

"Why would I be making fun of you? _'Seriously'_?"

"Never mind that," Maka snapped before spinning around quickly and making her way over to the counter where Tsubaki had once been. "Tsubaki should be done by now, so let's get the book and go save that boy," As she mumbled that out, Soul knelt down to pick up the book and he set it back where he had found it. When he placed it back on the shelf, the book beside it caught his attention. The spine of the book said 'Soul Eater' in thick golden print, beckoning him to reach over and take it. Hesitantly, Soul reached up and went to take the book right off of the shelf to read, but a hand was set on his shoulder, causing him to flinch and look toward where the hand had came from.

It wasn't Maka, much to his surprise, but a purple haired Witch with a tail swaying behind her suggestively. He pursed his lips together in annoyance as she seemed to purr at him. "Nya~" The witch leaned close to him once he was turned to face her and didn't give him much space between him and the bookshelf. "Are you lost little human?" She then asked him; a sly feline like smile spreading across her lips. No no no…Soul was not interested in the slightest. He took an uncomfortable step back as her yellow eyes examined him from head to toe. Because of the little room she gave him, however, he only managed to press himself up against the shelf behind him as a deep scowl began to form on his face.

"Blair, he's mine. Back off!"

Both Soul and the Witch known as Blair looked over to the counter and watched as Tsubaki handed Maka her spell book back. She had her back to them, but the forest green eyed Witch could tell what had happened as if she had eyes on the back of her head. "I'm taking him to the dungeons myself, so get your paws off of him." She snapped this as soon as she turned around to face the both of them, book now tucked away in her coat. Blair seemed to narrow her eyes at her and look at the musician before finally letting out a pout. She then gave the white haired boy a quick teasing wink before trotting off to go do whatever it was she was doing before she approached him in the first place. Soul watched patiently from where he stood just to be sure she really was gone before he heard Maka speak up again. "Are you coming?"

Soul let himself look away from the feline like witch and over to the one with the pigtails in her hair. She was glaring at him from over by the doorway and she had her hands on her hips; her giant Spell Book long since hidden away. Why was she giving him that look? "What?" He snapped as he made his way over to her so they cold both leave. "I don't get what your deal is," He then began as they walked out into the hall and started down a dark walkway.

She mumbled out a "whaddya mean?" as they both walked through the dark; the only light revealed to be candles hung on the wall every four or five feet.

"I mean…you act like you hate me, then there was that time when you were actually kind of nice to me, and then another witch gets her hands on me and you got all possessive…what the hell is that all about?"

"Do you want to live?"

"See? There you go again!"

Maka snapped a glare in his direction and growled under her breath before reaching to grab his arm with a tight grip. "Listen here," She then mumbled lowly, moving closer to him with daggers in her eyes. "If it weren't for me, you would be dead right now, I'm trying to keep you alive, and I'm trying to rescue a friend of yours. So don't question me. Once we're out of here, your dept will be paid and I will be out of your life forever, ok?" For a moment, he thought he had caught a glimpse of something in that piercing stare of her's that wasn't anger. "So please, stop whining and let's just get this over with!"

Soul stared at her with his crimson eyes after that and she just stared back with her forest green eyes. He could see she was irritated, and he could see that she was upset, and for some reason, the "Getting out of his life" part really brought up that somber look in her eyes. Did that mean she didn't want to stay out of his life? Then, why was she always so mean to him? The only thing this girl managed to do was confuse the living hell outta him. One second she claims she hates him and the next her eyes are screaming at him not to leave her alone.

He felt his eyelids open wider at the realization. She lived all alone out in that cove, didn't she? People were constantly on her tail trying to kill her and people were always taking her book and burning her hands constantly throughout her life. Maybe having him around was a nice change in pace…maybe she actually enjoyed his company. That was a little faster than he thought, but the realization himself gave him the jitters and he couldn't keep himself from swallowing back a nervous gulp.

Soul proceeded to let out a soft sigh and reach up to run his fingers through his snowy hair. What kind of situation did he get himself into? "…Okay." He felt her hands slide off of his shoulders and then noticed that she was crossing her arms now. "You win. I'll shut up."

Maka smiled at him. "Good." She hadn't given him that smile before and it made his shoulders rise unconsciously.

_She was so cute._

"Excuse me." A sudden voice was heard from further down the hallway and they quickly looked in its direction. An abnormally plump Witch with a ring of keys on her belt stood a little ways away keeping guard in front of a wooden door. Her green eyes narrowed and she set a hand on her hip as the two young adults stared at her. "Is that a human you are trying to arrest, Miss. Albarn?" She then asked with an annoyed and surprisingly high pitched voice. The both of them kept their eyes on her, unmoving until Soul finally turned his gaze back to the younger green eyed Witch in the room. She did all the talking right?

"Uh…yes," Maka finally managed to stutter out before pulling Soul over to the woman in front of the doorway. "He burnt my hand during a raid on Death City and I captured him for arrest and a Death Sentence." She then said; causing Soul to shoot her a look in surprise. He was unaware that she was using his actual crime as the excuse to get him in there. If he didn't know any better, he would think that she was actually arresting him. "Please let me enter," The plump Irish woman stared at her for a moment before nodding and reaching into her large clump of keys. Then, taking one out, she shoved it into the keyhole and opened the door for them.

"Find an empty cell, put him in and shut it. It should lock on its own…"

"Thank You," Maka said to her with a small smile as she set her hand on the door and shoved Soul inside. He let out a gasp in surprise at her sudden strength but tried with all of his being not to turn around and yell at her for it. "Oh. Arachne wanted to talk to you, by the way." Maka said this over her shoulder to the woman just before the door managed to close behind them. "While I'm in there, I promise I'll keep an eye on our prisoners," The Irish Witch nodded to her and walked off as soon as this was said and, once Maka was behind the door, she locked it from the inside and turned around; only to meet an irritated stare from the musician.

She frowned, hands on her hips. "What?"

"You do realize that when Kid turns out missing, the first person their going to suspect will be you…right?"

"Yeah, so what?" She shrugged it off in response as they both began making their way down the walkway between the cell doors. "They all think I'm a goodie-two-shoes…and besides," She reached into her left sleeve so she could pull out a hidden key that he assumed belonged to Kid's cell since he remembered seeing it handed to her from Tsubaki back in the library. "There won't be any proof that I did it anyway." Holding the key up in his face, she waved it around. "This key went missing weeks ago too so suspicion on the perpetrator responsible for that will be first." Soul watched her as she then began to move faster; her head darting from side to side so she could see what was in each cell. Soon, she stopped near cell number 8 and she shoved the key into the keyhole.

"Who's there?" A boy with black hair asked as soon as the gate was slid open. Soul stood next to Maka so he could look into the small room and spot where the voice was coming from. In the back corner, the boy noticed Soul and he stared at the two of them with narrow golden eyes. As soon as he saw the musician, however, all suspicion depleted and he stood up quickly, grinning from ear to ear. "Soul!" He seemed so happy to see the white haired boy it should have been a crime. He'd been stuck in this place of two years, it caused Soul to give a strained smile in return. He was glad to see the guy but he felt terrible about the situation he was in.

As soon as Kid was close enough to the two of them, Maka suddenly swung her large Spell Book down on him and threw him down to the floor; causing Soul to gape at the situation. She had knocked him out cold. She didn't even use very much effort either. This girl was a fucking tank. "Grab his legs," Maka said quickly as she hid away her spell book and walked around the Shinigami boy to grab his arms. "All my magic is cut off in the dungeons, so if I want to teleport us out of here, we're gunna have to leave and get back into the hall where we saw FattyMcIrish over there…" Soul couldn't help but let out a small amused snort after this was said, and as soon as he knelt down to grab his friend's legs, he looked up into her eyes.

"So why'd you knock him out?"

"I heard he's got an issue with things being asymmetrical. That's true isn't it?" She asked him as they both lifted him from the ground and waddled down the walkway between the cells. "Well, take a look around you," She then told him; shrugging her shoulders in a way to gesture around them both. He glanced to his right and noticed that there was a small gargoyle place in between every other cell door in an out of control order. There was no way that there was a pattern here, and that would have definitely set the Shinigami off. "This place isn't very "symmetrical", now is it?" The "Class B" Witch let out a soft laugh as they came to the door finally. "Don't want him slowing us down with his nonsense, do we?"

"No…that wouldn't be helpful at all…" Soul grumbled as he found himself staring at her. She seemed to be a lot more cheerful than before all of this. Was this really an act or had she actually started to warm up to him a little?

Maka gave him a confirming nod as he went and set Kid's legs down so he could open the door for them to exit. "L-look out there first," She said to him in a hurry before he could grab the Shinigami boy by the legs again. Soul let out a small annoyed groan and turned to stick his head out the door for any sign of the Irish witch, but she was nowhere in sight, so he turned back around, grabbed his friend's legs and helped Maka carry him out.

As soon as they were out the door and it was shut, Maka set Kid down and began digging through her pockets. She pulled out a photo of her home, leaned over to take Soul's hand and grabbed Kid's with her other. "Take a deep breath…" As she said this she set the photo on Kid's chest and Soul touched it with his free hand. Then, to prepare herself for the journey he saw her take in a few deep breaths just before he felt his body shift through space.

Once again, something came over him and swept him off of his feet. He felt nauseous like before but he kept his hand on the photo with all his strength, and during their flight, Maka squeezed his hand tightly and while she held the photo she gripped onto Kid's suit. It wasn't long until they found themselves standing in the middle of the cove again. Dizzy for the second time that night, Soul found himself leaning against the small house Maka called home, and then looked up to the sky; seeing that they had been out till dark. The moon was up and radiating its light upon the small lake and, after looking down on the green eyed witch, he noticed that its light shone off of her skin quite nicely too. Once she turned to face him from where she stood, Soul felt his heart skip a beat.

She may have shown signs to be cute here and there but…Had she been that pretty this whole time?

After realizing that he'd been staring at her for some time now, Maka's cheeks puffed out in embarrassment and she snapped at him. "What are you looking at?" Soul only blinked a few times to regain his senses and shook his head at her. Then he glanced down and away from her face so he could look at the out cold Shinigami boy laying on the ground nearby. She may have noticed where his eyes had wandered and let out a sigh. "Right…take him home ok?" He heard her then say to him as she knelt down and swept a few strands of Kid's hair from his face. "And please, for the love of gods, do _'not'_ tell anyone that you helped a Witch save him…just say you found him…and when he wakes up…tell him that someone else may have rescued him and just left him in the woods…or something."

"Yeah…" Soul breathed out quietly in response. He then knelt down and began to pick the Shinigami up so he could throw him over his shoulders. He glanced up as he did so and watched her as she lazily stared off into the distance above her. For a small second, he felt as if he was in the presence of a normal teenage girl. A normal young woman with normal hobbies and likes…everything about her was…normal. Until he realized that she was still wearing that strange looking hat of hers, and her wand was partly visible from within her jacket sleeve. He let out a mental sigh as he stood up straight, and then he held out a hand to her; causing her to look at it quickly. "Thanks…for saving Kid. He's a good friend…"

Maka only stared at his hand for a long moment before finally, after looking up into his crimson eyes; she reached over and took it to shake. "You're welcome…I guess…" She then said; the last part a little more quietly than the first. "Just…don't get in trouble, and don't come back." Soul lifted an eyebrow at her as he pulled his hand away, but she only looked away with a small scowl on her face "I'll have to be a normal witch and hurt you if I see you here again, got it? So…be a good witch hunter boy and go home before you get in trouble for hanging around someone like me all night." Soul let his lips twitch up in a sideways smile as he stared down at her with his dark eyes. She had a point…but that didn't necessarily mean he wouldn't come back. He still had his plan to carry out.

"Alright…see ya." Turning at the heel, Soul soon began his walk back in the direction of the waterfall.

Out of nowhere, the falls split down the middle and revealed a path to the other side of the rock wall and he took a few steps back once taken off guard. Soul, a little surprised, looked over the shoulder that wasn't occupied with carrying something and he saw her pointing her wand at the falling water. For a moment, they just stood there, but after she noticed that he was looking her way, she put on another one of her infamous glares and pointed at him with her free hand. "Go home!" She then barked; causing him to grin and show off his teeth to her. He could have sworn he saw her cheeks redden.

"Yes, "_Mother_"…"

"Wha—HEY!"

Still grinning, Soul turned his head back forward and continued his walk into the waterfall that had split apart for him. Though the crash of the water still formed a bit of a wall of mist so by the time he got over to the other side, he wasn't necessarily soaked, but he and Kid were both wet: wet enough to have droplets of water running off the ends of their noses. Soul let out an exaggerated sigh and wiped off the water from his face with his free hand and then soon began to make his way towards his home. "Damn it…"

He remembered what he had promised his Mother before he wandered out there in the first place and let out a groan in irritation.

"I promised not to go near the waterfall and now…" Soul began as he managed to step over a fallen tree that had moss covering about every inch of it. "I'm coming home soaked and with an unconscious boy over my shoulder…" He glanced over to Kid's sleeping face as he made his way up the grassy hill that led out of the thick woods and up to the back of his home. His mother's rose bushes came into view and he could see that all the windows were dark; meaning no one was awake. He wondered what the time was as he made his way around the large building and towards the front door. Once he made it there, he took a few looks around before opening it to go inside. It was easier than tossing Kid through the back door or window and getting around all the furniture back there.

Something about finally being within his own home swept a wave of relief across his very being. He was safe now…and the smell of those damn witches was gone. Though, Maka—if he could remember right—actually smelled quite nice. Soul's whole thought process came to a pause as he set Kid down on the nearest lounge couch. He stared aimlessly before him as he set a pillow under the other boy's head and tried to remember what the sandy blonde Witch actually smelt like. He caught a small scent every time she was near…the scent that drifted from her form was hard to explain. But unlike most Witches he'd met before, she smelt nice…much nicer than the perfume that Liz would drown herself with during class too.

"88…even better…than…8…eh…sky…sun…clouds…so…perfect…"

Soul's crimson eyes shot down to give the mumbling Shinigami a puzzled look. He must have been talking in his sleep as he rolled over to get more comfortable in the couch, so he decided to leave him alone and go search for a blanket to put over him. Inside one of the many hall closets there were a few thin blankets in case someone were to sleep on the couch, so he decided to grab one of those. He grumbled at the lack of bedrooms in his large home and snatched up the first blanket he could find. Guests normally slept on the couch…Better to say the "rare" guests they had slept on the couch…no one ever stayed the night…it was very rare. He was pretty sure his last guest to stay over was Black*Star and that only turned out to be a disaster.

"Here ya go," Soul apathetically mumbled out as he covered the Shinigami boy with a thin blue blanket from one of the closets. He made sure it was as even as possible so it wouldn't freak the guy out when he woke up, and once he thought it was safe, he turned and began making his way up the stairs, only to freeze in place to see his mother looking down on him from the top; her eyes slightly closed from fatigue and a small candle in her left hand. "Uh...hey Mom…"

"Did you just get home?" Roselin asked quietly as her free hand reached up and rubbed the tired from one of her eyes. "I haven't seen you since this morning…" Her tired legs began to move and she slowly began to trot down the stairs as Soul tried his best not to look like he had just met up with a Witch, infiltrated the Witch Foundation, rescued the Shinigami's son, and came back soaked from a parted waterfall in the middle of the night. But he was sure she wouldn't have known he did all of that anyway…Unless she was psychic. Though there were times when her Mother's intuition got the better of him and he couldn't help but think that maybe his own Mom was a Witch too. "Who's that on the couch?" Coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, the white haired woman leaned a little to the right in attempt to look at the sleeping boy.

"Uh…It's…Well…" Soul began to think of some kind of excuse once his mouth set off. He looked over his shoulder and then back to his mother and saw that the gold colored candle holder was shaking in her tired hand. "You remember Death the Kid, right?" He then asked her as she once again began moving his way. "Well…I went for another walk and found him in the woods…so…I brought him home…"

Roselin paused again and lifted an eyebrow at her youngest son. "At two o'clock in the morning?" She then asked him; causing a full body flinch as his reaction. Then, a nervous laugh slipped from his lips and his hand reached up to scratch the back of his head. His mother watched him only for a little while longer before finally giving up and letting out a sigh. "Good grief boy…I think it's about time you get a curfew…" Soul's eyes opened again and he went to say something but she continued as she made her way over to the couch. "This is wonderful news…but I don't think I should let you go to those woods anymore—"

"M-Mom!"

"Shush! You'll wake him up." Roselin swatted her hand in his direction and knelt down next to the couch; setting the candle and it's holder down on the ground. She reached forward as the boy rolled again and got a good look of his face. The three white strips in his hair and pale but perfectly clean face definitely belonged to the Shinigami's son. Soul gave her a confused stare as she kept her crimson eyes on Kid while he slept. She looked like a Mother looking down on one of her children…he saw that expression on her face when she would watch over Wes or even himself when they were younger.

"You've been gone for two years…how in the world did you suddenly appear in the woods…?" She seemed to be asking Kid himself but knew he wouldn't answer her while he was peacefully dreaming his cares away.

"Maybe…someone rescued him and then ditched him out there." Soul mumbled in reply for him.

"Possibly…" The white haired woman stood up with the candle back in her hand and turned to face her youngest son. "In the morning, I'll be sure to wake you all up early for a nice breakfast!" She was sure not to say it too loudly but at the same time she came off to be very happy nonetheless. But then she calmed herself and smiled lightly toward her youngest boy. "Go ahead and take him to school with you too so he can go back to his father," Soul nodded to her as she then began to walk towards the stairs again; bringing him along by setting her free hand on his shoulder. "In the meantime…go to bed, young man."

"Yeah, yeah…" Soul breathed out as he and his mother both walked up the flight of stairs; his fingers lightly tracing the handrail as he went up and his mind obviously stuck on that night's events. That Witch's name, her eyes, her attitude and her spirit, they were all so rebellious and strong. He just needed her trust…then he could turn her in and get the award of a lifetime! Soul grinned to himself as he opened his bedroom door and eyed his bed as it sat below the window. He pulled the gloves off his hands and took his coat off; all of which were then thrown onto his desk. Then, he looked out the window and narrowed his eyes in the direction of Maka's home.

"You're my key to many doors Miss. Albarn…"

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><p>soul stahp<p>

...

heh

yeah hi

hope you enjoyed the chapter

stay cool lovelies!


	7. Chapter 7

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 7

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><p>A crash downstairs caused Soul's eyes to snap open quickly and he sat up to look at his bedroom door. He could hear mumbles from within the hall and after a moment or so, he recognized the voice as Kid's. "Shit…" Soul muttered out as he pulled the blankets away from his legs so he could get up. He threw a T-shirt on so he wouldn't go out there in just sweat pants and then opened the door to walk out into the hallway. He looked to his right and saw that none of the lights from within the bedrooms were on. Through the window at the end of the hall, he could see it was still dark outside, so it must have been a little earlier than his mother had planned to wake them all up for breakfast.<p>

Downstairs, Kid's confused mumbling continued, so Soul made his way over to the steps and grabbed the nearest candle to light. It was the easiest way to get around such a large home without waking anyone else up…unless you were Kid and decided to break something. "Kid," He called out in a whispered yell as he began making his way down the stairs. The couch he had left the young Shinigami on was empty except for the blanket, which had been neatly folded and left in the middle. He had no idea where he was and yet he _'still'_ folded the blanket up nicely…? What a clean freak. What surprised Soul the most was that he was still like that even after being in a prison for a little over two years.

"Where the hell did you go?" Soul snapped as he glanced around the front room and walked away from the stairs. He came a little more out in the open and a little closer to the couch that Kid had slept on. The dark made it nearly impossible to see anything at least 5 feet away from him, so he wouldn't have been able to tell if the black and white haired boy was either right in front of him or even beside him until it was too late. Soul's eyes narrowed in irritation as he tried to make out the objects he spotted in the dark. Then, as if he were being followed, he heard the floor creak.

"Kid." Soul hissed the other boy's name as his crimson eyes darted to his left side. But nothing was there…at least anything that he couldn't see. He silently cursed to himself within his thoughts after realizing that the boy he was looking for was dressed in a completely black outfit and was near impossible to spot out. He heard another creak and this time he could feel the presence behind him.

Gripping the handle of the candle holder, Soul spun around and held it out to extend the reach of his sight. Behind him just a few feet away, Kid held a blunt object up like he was planning on hitting the white haired musician from behind. For a moment the two were just giving each other dangerous stares, but then, Kid relaxed his arms and smiled slightly. "S-Soul…is that you?" He asked with a quiver in his voice; the blunt object—obviously the support for one of the small sized coffee tables—dropping to the ground near his feet. "I…I thought this place was familiar, but I just…I didn't know…" As Soul relaxed as well and put on a small grin, he walked closer to the Shinigami boy now that everything had been figured out. "I broke one of your vases by the way…I am terribly sorry…I'll make sure to pay you for it."

"It's fine Kid."

"Oh! Where's the other one that was with you back at the Foundation?" Kid suddenly blurted out with a curious shine in his golden eyes. Soul's own eyes widened and he tried not to gape at the boy once he noticed he had actually remembered what had happened when he was rescued. "She was a Witch wasn't she? Where is she, I want to thank her too." Kid paused and then relaxed his expression to look up at the ceiling in the corner of his eyes. "Although…I wonder why she hit me with a book…?"

"It was easier to get you out of there that way," Soul answered with a tired sigh as his right hand came up to rub his temple. "Please don't tell anyone I worked alongside a Witch to save you," He then said to the Shinigami as he pondered about in his thoughts. "I'd not only get in huge trouble, but so would she…" As much as he wanted her to get caught…he couldn't have it happen that way…He needed her to be turned in so he could be praised not _punished_.

The main lights of the entrance hall snapped on and Soul nearly shot out of his skin and dropped the candle. But he managed to keep it in hand as he then began to look over to who had turned the lights on. His brother had done it, and his mother and father were right beside him; all three of them giving him and Kid odd but curious expressions…although, Sosano's was much more stern and serious than the other's. He most likely may have been more angry than curious to see Kid and his son standing in the darkness together.

"G-Good morning Evans Family!" Kid said happily as he gave all three Evans' a polite bow and smile. Soul, however, kept his wide eyes towards the rest of his family as this happened. He'd been put into absolute shock, and it wasn't just because the three of them had frightened him, but it was because of the fact that he'd been discussing with Kid just what had happened. His thoughts were going haywire and he could barely concentrate on the fact that his family had started down the stairs towards them. Had they heard anything Soul told Kid? Did they hear anything that was spoken between them? About working alongside Maka? About hitting Kid with a book and dragging him out of the Foundation? Soul's throat felt dry as the Shinigami made his way over to the kitchen with the rest of the family. He felt his whole body shaking as his Father eyed him carefully before joining the rest of them. Now he was terrified…he felt almost as he did when he stood before Mabaa for the first time.

"No…" Soul breathed to himself as he shut his eyes and tried his best to get a grip of the situation. He shook his head and looked down at his feet. 'Relax Soul…' He then thought as he reached out to pinch the flame of the candle with his fingers. 'Even if they did hear you…you could just explain the plan to them later!' He set the candle down on the nearest table and made his way into the dining room where his parents, sibling, and friend all sat; waiting for a breakfast and talking to each other as if Kid was suddenly a part of their family. They all smiled at each other lightly until Wes had caught sight of his younger brother's features.

"Little brother?" Wes called out lightly in curiosity; causing the rest of the group to look his way. Roselin seemed to put on a look of concern and so did Kid, while Sosano on the other hand seemed like the only person that didn't care. "Are you alright?" The eldest of the brothers then muttered as Soul looked his way with much struggle. "You look…very tense."

"You look almost as if you've seen a ghost…" Roselin continued as her head tilted to the side slightly.

"I'm fine." Soul lied in a quick voice, shifting his eyes around the room. "You just…scared me, when the lights snapped on…" He let out a shaky laugh and took a step back; suddenly not even hungry anymore. "I'm…going upstairs…to get ready." They all stared at him as if he were an Alien among them. Kid, even did so for a moment before realizing that they were in the home of Death City's most talented Witch Hunters. He then knew why Soul was so stressed out. He realized that the group may have heard what they were speaking of before they showed themselves to them.

"Uh…Bye…"

With that, the white haired musician ran up the stairs and into his room in a flash. Once inside, he felt that his racing heart was able to come to a slower pace and he dove into his bed with a frustrated groan. He could already tell that the day was going to drag out for longer than he would hope for.

* * *

><p>The walk to school was actually quite annoying. Soul couldn't take a quick peek at Maka the Witch either and it was for two reasons. One: He had to walk with Kid since it was his first time back in town in at least two years. And Two: Maka said she'd kill him if she saw his face in that cove again. So either way, Soul couldn't go even if he wanted to. 'So much for gaining her trust…' He thought; glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the cove the young witch lived in. All Kid did that morning was talk, ask questions and talk some more. Apparently Kid had <em>"A lot of catching up to do"<em> and Soul _"was going to help with that"._

"Oh! How is the Witch Training? I heard it's really up close and personal!"

"Yeah," Soul groaned as he looked forward again, just in time to move around some guy reading his newspaper. "I guess you could call it that." He then said to his excited friend as they began to climb up the stairs that lead up to the school. Kid seemed to have a bounce in his step as if he was the happiest man alive. It was almost as if he were at the top of the world with a symmetrical hat on top of his head. It almost made Soul mad, because while Kid was happy and gleeful to be home again, Soul was stressed out and upset about not being able to do what he wanted with the situation he had with that "Class B" Witch in the forest.

"I hear Liz and Patty are in the class! I can't wait to see them again~!"

"Kid….please, I have a headache."

"Sorry, Soul."

Of course Soul was lying. He didn't want to just blurt out that he was annoyed with all the talking. Kid was one of his good friends…that would be cruel. He was cool enough to spare the guy's ear drums if he was willing to spare his in return.

"We're here~!"

"Kid!" Soul hissed again, wincing as he felt a little shock this time.

"—Sorry!"

With a sigh, Soul pushed open the front doors to the school and the young Shinigami began to run ahead without him. The musician on the other hand just slumped inside lazily and watched as the other boy turned around. "I'm going to go see my Father," Kid then told him happily once Soul noticed he was going in a different direction than him. "I'm going to let him know I'm home and I will join you in class soon." Soul would have told him that his Mother had sent off a letter earlier that morning, but the other boy was already gone before he could even muster up a response.

"Uhh…Okay." Soul shook his head and turned to walk the other way. He then smiled a little to himself as he made his way down the hall. He was actually somewhat happy to see the Shinigami's son again despite the fact that he was just as annoying as he used to be. Some people never changed. At least Kid was one that could be calm and collected if he needed to be. Unlike _someone _he knew.

Before he knew it, he was in the classroom, facing the stares of the other students. Black*Star, almost on impulse stood up and waved like a child on Halloween that had eaten way too much candy and Soul sat down next to him with a sigh, already telling himself that he was ready to go home. Honestly, he would have rather been shocked by Maka's electrical current than sit in class for the rest of the day.

"Hello class…." Stein soon said from behind his desk as he wrote on some kind of paper with a pen. Soul let out a loud yawn and the room went silent, almost _'too' _silent and his shoulders grew stiff. He went to take a look around but noticed that their instructor was speaking again. "I went out on a hunt last night and caught myself an interesting Witch that I thought I'd let you guys go up against today…." The teacher uttered out as he set the pen down and stood up, taking his lightning bug from the drawer. "Everyone up and get to the arena. I'll introduce you to our new "Class C" Witch, Blair."

That name was all too familiar. "Blair?" Soul whispered the name in question as the class of only the short amount of people it had got to their feet and made their way to the door. "Where have I heard that before?" He then asked himself before literally getting pulled up by the blue haired moron beside him. Just as they were all about to leave, the doors opened and a certain Shinigami appeared; causing nearly the whole lot of students to gasp in surprise.

"Kiddo!"

Of course, it was Liz to be the one to tackle him first in a warm hug. Patty was next, and soon the whole class had him in a huge embrace. Well…not Soul. He just stood a few feet away from it with Stein and waited for them to get on with everything. The only time he was going to get into a group hug was when he finally turned Maka in and got a reward out of it. Maybe then it would probably only be his family that he would accept such a gesture from. He wasn't big on being touched and hugging was something he only did with his Mother.

"Can we get onto the arena…please?"

"Yes, Yes. Come on class, let's get going."

At least the teacher understood him.

* * *

><p>Of course, Kid was a natural. Once he entered the arena it seemed like he knew exactly where he was going. He even brought along his own weapons that he got from his Father upon his return. They were twin pistols. 'What the fuck!?' Soul thought this with an angry stare as the Shinigami had spun the two silver weapons around his pinky fingers. He was mostly angry with the fact that everyone was told to use the weapons on the table and none of it was powered by gunpowder. Everything on the table was handled by the swing of an arm. It definitely irritated him, but he thought about it after a moment and finally came to a conclusion that Kid was the son of the Shinigami and was also a spoiled brat. So…he was probably allowed to use whatever he wanted while they were all stuck with daggers, knives, swords and even toothpicks for gods' sakes.<p>

"Focus Soul!" Stein shouted; realizing that Soul, yet again, was staring off into space, lost in his thoughts. The young white haired man shook his concentration back from focusing on the thought of the spoiled boy and he brought himself back into the battle with the Witch that he recognized to be the one he had met in the Witch Foundation's Library. Blair was her name. Stein said so, but he hadn't noticed it at first. Not until he saw the "Class C" Witch himself. "You need to keep your head in the game!"

"Yeah, Yeah…." Soul mumbled, spinning the sword a little in his hand as if trying to subconsciously show off to nothing. He didn't need to focus just _'yet'_…The others had her distracted while he stood in the corner to day dream. "Uhh….So, Stein." He called out to the teacher as he watched the purple haired Witch throw what looked like pumpkins at the cart wheeling Black*Star. The teacher definitely looked his way, but he didn't look like he was going to be patient with whatever Soul had to say. "Is there any way to …sneak up on a "Class B" witch?"

"Why would you be worrying about a "Class B" when there is a "Class C" right behind you?"

Soul's eyes narrowed a little, only for them to widen when he realized what that meant. He quickly whipped his head around, only to meet the golden cat eyes of the purple haired Witch that had been this close to him only once before. "Hello~" She purred as she stepped closer to him, a wand in her right hand. Soul looked down at it and back up into her eyes, wondering why it wasn't glowing like the others did when they were readying themselves for attack. Then it hit him…_She knew exactly who he was_. She recognized him from the night before. "Why aren't you in the dungeon?~" She asked him with another purr; causing his eyes to widen greatly. He looked around quickly to see if anyone had heard that, but they were all busy dodging her auto pilot pumpkins, and getting yelled at by Stein. "I thought Maka was going to deal with you?~"

She had gotten very close, so, of course, the young hunter in training pushed her aside with his hand and pointed his sword into her neck, stepping back just far enough to do so without beheading her. "Well…I got away from her okay, so…" He took a look around and glanced back into her eyes as she stepped closer again, pushing the blade away from her throat. "Stay back!" He then shouted as he swung the blade around to hit her, but she only ducked and pounced; knocking him onto his ass. He heard someone call out his name in shock as she leaned in and took a very _long_ whiff of the white mop on his head. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand and goosebumps formed up and down his arms. He felt his body grow stiff and he struggled to move away from her. Whatever she was doing was freaking him out but he couldn't move away because of the way she had him pinned down with her hands and legs pressed down on his.

"W-What are you doing—"

"You smell like her~" Blair said to him as Black*Star made his way over as quickly as possible. He tried to get out of her grip, and he reached for his sword but she kicked it away before he could get any closer to it. "You actually smell nice on your own. I can smell your own odor underneath her's~" She then said, touching his lip with her finger to force him to look up at her. What was this? Was she trying to seduce him in front of the rest of the class? In a way it was working but honestly, who _wouldn't_ feel a little something when a nearly half naked woman was on top of you and playing with your lips? Despite the feeling she gave in his gut, he wasn't ready for any of this kind of thing to happen. Especially at School. _Especially_ with a Witch. "You're so cute~" As she whispered this to him, he noticed that she began to lean her head down closer to his. "I'll sacrifice the little bond for you…" What did she mean by bond? Soul closed his eyes and wiggled around underneath her to try and escape. She had to be some sort of succubus. Witches could be something like that, couldn't they? He was sure of it now.

"Get off me!" He screamed.

Blair had been only seconds away from kissing him when she was knocked off and thrown across the ground; dropping her wand on the way. Black*Star made it and just in time. Soul thought he was going to go nuts! After a quick check up of his physical state as well as mental, he rolled over, picked up his sword and stood up as she got back to her feet as well. She made some sort of disappointed expression as he held the sharp tool up with both hands. They had some sort of staring contest, for at least a minute, Black*Star included…until finally, the Witch suddenly gasped, and hit the ground with a thud; revealing Death the Kid with one of his guns raised as if he had hit her with the back end of it. And _'now' _Soul was pissed!

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

* * *

><p>"Damn Kid, damn pistols, damn witch, damn sword, damn …<em>class<em>!"

Angry, Soul charged out of the arena as soon as Blair was put back in her cell and Stein let them go. He walked down the hallway as fast as he could so he could get home and possibly take some sort of nap! He growled to himself, balling his hands into fists. There never was a day where he didn't have something piss him off. He felt like he was always angry—always angry at _'some'_thing. That day in particular, it was definitely everything. Just about everything about that day ticked him off. A nap was just what he needed, and he was planning on taking a nice long one until dinner. Maybe even later…Maybe he'd skip dinner that night, just for the hell of it.

"S-Soul! Wait up a second,"

The white haired boy stopped in his tracks, immediately recognizing the voice that had begun to call out for him. He almost growled again before he looked over his shoulder to show he'd acknowledged Kid's presence. The Shinigami jogged up to him and set his hands on his knees for a breather once he caught up. "Thank you…" He wheezed, showing that he'd become somewhat out of shape over the years. The black and white haired boy stood up straight again and before anything else had been said, he'd reached into his bag and pulled out a white envelope. Soul was just about to ask what it was and what it was for when he spoke up again. "I'd like you to take me to the witch who helped you rescue me."

"W-What!?"

Soul reached out to snag the envelope from his friend, but Kid held it away and gave the musician a serious stare. "My Father wrote this letter as to thank her for her kindness…" He then said to him; causing his jaw to slack in disbelief. Kid's expression relaxed and he let out a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, he doesn't know she was a Witch and he doesn't know you were the one who helped…It's addressed 'to whom it may concern'…" Still, it made Soul nervous just to think about. He could have accidentally told the Shinigami features that could only describe a Witch…he could have accidentally made it slip for all he knew. The frightening feeling in the back of his head began to plague his mind as the guilt ate away at anything he could have used to make the situation seem better. However, the more Soul thought about what he had done, the more terrified he felt. The consequences for all of this meant that he could be banished—killed even.

Ever since he met that damned Witch Maka in the park, he'd been nothing but a bundle of anger and jitters. It pissed him off! He would never let their little adventure go, would he? This must have been all of her fault. She must have put a spell on him to cause his worst fears to destroy him inside and out.

"Please Soul. I want you to take me to her so I can give this to her personally,"

"Who says I know where she is…?"

Kid merely gave a symmetrical grin, staring into the boys crimson eyes with his golden hues. "Your eyes do Soul…" He spoke, making the boy before him narrow the very orbs. "The eyes are the window into the soul…didn't your mother ever tell you tha—"

"Okay shut up," Soul barked, irritated with where the conversation was going. Kid's lips pursed together tightly as the white haired male then spun around and began taking his leave. "Fine. I'll take you to her." The young Shinigami was not far behind after that said, and he put the letter away in a safe place. He'd bring it out again when he met Maka, and while he was excited about meeting the Witch, Soul could only pray that his life wouldn't be in danger the second they saw her.

* * *

><p>I didn't get very many reviews for that last chapter so I hope I haven't made a bad decision somewhere along the way<p>

I hope you guys still like the story!

AH

hope you've had a good day/night too

love you all xoxoxo


	8. Chapter 8

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>Soul grumbled to himself as he helped the boy with severe OCD up the cliff side that separated them from the cove Maka lived in. The other couldn't stand to climb up unless he had a plan of action and he couldn't get his suit dirty. Where he got the new suit, he had no idea, but it was somewhere between the time he left him when they first got to school to when he joined the class. He must have gotten it from his Father…but either way it was still annoying. Soul was currently stuck underneath the other teen as he pushed himself up onto a boulder that waited near the top. They were almost there.<p>

"Pull me up." Soul reached his hand out to the boy. Kid only stared down at him for a moment before explaining that it would be off balance to pull him up by one hand, so with an annoyed groan, Soul held up both of his hands. Kid knelt down to grab his hands and soon he was hoisted up next to him. He didn't care if Kid complained or not about it, but now Soul was going to go first this time. He climbed up the rest of the way and went ahead to pull the Shinigami up from there.

That was much easier than waiting on Kid to get up on his own.

"We still need to climb down, but it'll be easier…" Soul informed the other as they crossed the water and came up to the other side. That's when he felt his body go numb. The air was still and there was no fire going on outside of the small house in the cove. Where was she then? Was she hiding and waiting to kill him for trespassing? Surly she would have noticed that they were approaching by now…

"Ah, that must be her home!" Kid said as he began jumping down the other side. It seemed as if it was effortless for him now that they were going down instead of up. Soul could only roll his eyes as he carefully slid down to ground level and then watched as the one with black and white hair walked over to the campfire and looked around. "Hello?" He called out for her with a hopeful voice. "Witch!"

"Her name is Maka." Soul shot from over by the pool of water.

Kid nodded and went to call out the Witch's name instead, and just then, her door opened and the sandy blonde they were looking for stepped out into the open. She seemed surprised to see the two of them—well he would have thought so—and after a sudden jolt, Maka closed the door and stared at the two of them. She had a bag hanging at her waist, her hat on and by the looks of everything else around them he could tell that she was about to go somewhere.

"Can I help you?" Her voice sounded impatient and angry. Soul almost took a step back to avoid making eye contact but instead he only shot his gaze towards the rock wall nearby. That was his way of avoiding things. A lame habit, he knew. "I'm kind of busy."

"I wanted to give this to you." The young Shinigami took a step closer to the Witch and held out the envelope he pulled from his pocket. Soul's gaze found the two of them and he pried his lips apart to say something, however nothing really slipped by. He couldn't believe how _casual_ Kid was about this. "You are the Witch that saved me, I know, so I told my Father and he wrote this letter of gratitude." The boy bowed down to her and held the envelope up even more toward her. "Please accept our gratitude and I apologize for any troubles that may have occurred during the task."

Maka's eyes were wide as she stared at the young man. Soul could have sworn he saw her right eyebrow twitch up in interest. Then, without a seconds thought, the girl snatched the letter from the boy's hand and brought it to her side. "You told the Shinigami that a _Witch_ saved you?" She then asked him as her lips curled angrily.

"I told him that _someone_ saved me." Kid replied.

She flinched back, pink daring to show up on her cheeks and then finally she let out a sigh. It was as if her anger completely disappeared. "…O-Okay. You're welcome I guess." After she said this, Kid sprung back up in a standing position and he looked happy to hear her reply. He then said his goodbyes and was off as soon as Soul managed to catch up on the situation. By the time Maka was tearing open the envelope, Kid was gone and over the cliffs, leaving them both behind.

She hadn't killed him yet…so maybe he was off the hook?

"I thought I told you never to come back?"

He spoke way too soon.

Maka's sharp voice pulled his gaze to her again as she took the letter out to read. He came closer to her but still kept his distance in case she was to lash out on him. He watched her green eyes scan the paper before noticing a small smile creep onto her lips. Then she crumbled it all up and tossed it into her empty fire pit. Then with her hands on her hips, she looked back up at him. "_Well_? Did you _want_ to die or something?"

"Wha—no!" Soul shook his head quickly before she ended up getting her wand out. "I was just…I was showing Kid how to get here." It wasn't a lie or anything. He really had just shown the other teen the way and it was the only reason he was even there in the first place. If it hadn't been for Kid's request, Soul was sure he never would have gotten the guts to step foot in that cove again.

She gave him a suspicious stare before rolling her green eyes and holding her hand up above her head. She was about to disappear.

"Wait!" He held his hand out to her before she could snap her fingers together and she gave him a sharp look.

"**_What_**?"

"I was uh…wondering…where you were going." He knew he pissed her off, but he managed to get his thoughts out.

"That's none of your business."

_Ouch_. Guess she wasn't going to be nice to him forever. He should have known.

Setting that aside for now, Soul cleared his throat and tried for another go. "Hey…I know we had a bit of a rough start but—"

"What good is this going to get you?" Maka interrupted him. "By telling you where I'm going, what are you going to accomplish? How would the information behoove you?" She came closer to him with an attempt to intimidate the boy, but he managed to keep his ground where he stood. Instead of blasting him away with magic like he thought she would do at that point, she let out a sigh and leaned away again. She'd given up and realized that he was probably going to be stubborn about it.

"Tonight's the night Mabaa takes her first sacrifice in ten years for the extension of her life." It was a stubborn mumble that passed her lips, but he knew she wasn't lying to him. She was finally explaining to him what was going so he did his best to show a little gratitude. Although he couldn't keep up that act forever. The fact that she was going to go watch the Grand Witch kill someone made him irritable deep down.

"Tsubaki and I are going to stop it."

Wait what?

Her words shocked him and Soul held his hands up in disbelief. "You mean you're going up against your own leader?" The night before when she brought him to the foundation she seemed to have a good relationship with Mabaa. That or at least the Grand Witch seemed to trust the "Class B" that stood before him. But still, why would she and another Witch from the foundation do something like that? "You're betraying her…?"

"Yes." Maka immediately answered. "I have to go now. It starts once the sun disappears behind the mountains."

What he said next not only surprised the Witch, but it surprised himself as well. Soul had reached out and snagged her wrist into his hand and before he knew it, he was desperately asking her to bring him along. "Bring me! If I go, I can help. I'm pretty sure they would be able to tell that you're the culprit…so maybe if I do something and they see me instead, they won't get as suspicious of you or Tsubaki."

Maka stammered and shook her head. "B-But…why? You're a Witch Hunter; why do you insist on taking the blame for me?"

"I want to help." Soul tugged on her wrist. "If you're betraying Mabaa then that's a good thing, right? My enemy is Mabaa and—"

"It's not the same." Maka said, shaking her head at him. "I still hate humans too!" However, Soul continued to look her straight in the eye as if he was searching deep within her. He was determined to call her bluff. "Soul, I-" She felt her cheeks puff up in anger once he interrupted her to speak again.

"Please let me come with you." Her stare felt like daggers at this point, so Soul went ahead and used plan B to explain his reasons. "Maka…" Then suddenly his own stare seemed to soften. He sure hoped this would work against her and she wouldn't end up seeing through his charade. "Back at the foundation when you were yelling at me, I could see that behind all of that anger, you were actually kinda lonely." She tugged at her arm to pry it away from his grasp but he just squeezed it a little harder. The fact that she hadn't pulled out the wand and struck him boosted his confidence enough to get one more thing out.

"Do you _really_ want me to leave you alone?"

Those words seemed to tug at her attention. She stopped pulling her arm away from him and looked back up into his eyes. She almost seemed scared of him—as if his question had frightened her. Seconds after staring at him, her expression changed and she looked unsure of herself. Then, finally, after it seemed as if time had stopped, Maka let out a soft sigh and succeeded in pulling her wrist away from his hand. She took a hesitant step away from him to start digging through her bag and finally, she spoke. "Fine." Her voice was quiet as she shuffled through what sounded like paper with her fingers.

He wouldn't say, but the real reason why he wanted to come along so bad was so he could start gaining her trust like he originally planned. He was afraid that he wouldn't get another chance after this, so he did everything he could to get her to agree.

Soul let out an inward sigh and watched as she held out another photograph to him. He felt his skin crawl once he realized what it meant. "Can you stomach the trip this time?" Maka asked him, her lips curved in a mocking smirk. He almost hated to see her back to her old self. How unfortunate.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and smirked back at her; although he wasn't convincing anybody.

"Any cool guy can."

He said this to her as he took the paper between his fingers.

Maka's smug smile grew and with a quick wave of her wand, the two of them had been sucked into the vortex he was absolutely dreading. He felt like he was able to take the trip a little better, but once they met with their destination and his feet were on solid ground, the musician still found himself laying out on the ground for a quick breather. Just as he did so, Maka knelt down and jabbed a finger into his side.

"I guess you aren't as cool as you thought you were." She then said to him in a low voice, receiving a glare from the red eyed boy. She smiled at him and then turned away to look around some sort of pillar the two of them appeared by. He examined it's features and noticed that it was eight feet tall, grey colored and it wasn't alone. Many other pillars stood around them and seemed to frame a room on the other side.

"Be quiet…" Maka hushed. "We should get up to higher ground until Tsubaki gets here."

Soul pushed himself up to his feet and looked around the pillar as well to see a crowd of people standing near some sort of stone stage. The stage was toward the other end of the open stadium of stone pillars and it was just a few feet higher than where the Witches stood. Was that where the sacrifice was held? It gave him a sense of terror to think that Mabaa killed a person up there with all of those witches watching. The sight seemed to bring something held back in his memories as well. Something from when he was much younger. He couldn't fight back the feeling deep within his chest that he'd been up there before. But that was impossible…he was alive and well so he told himself not to think about.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that all of this was just _way_ too familiar.

"…H-How long has she been doing this?" Soul asked her as she turned away to walk toward the hill behind them.

"Over a hundred years my guess. She's an old hag." Maka replied, but then stopped when she noticed that he hadn't moved from where he stood. She walked back over to him and grabbed him by the back of his black coat so she could pull him away. "Come on. Stand there too long and one of the witches will notice your presence."

"Sorry." Soul managed to apologize as he finally tore his gaze away from the scene before them. They climbed up a small hill and then dove behind a bush full of small red berries. He assumed it was out of Mabaa's range since it was probably good not to get caught by her either. "What's the plan anyway?" was able to think properly now that he felt a little better about being further away from the crowd. He assumed it was just the power that radiated off of the area that gave him the sick feeling inside so he felt his nerves melt away once he and Maka were alone on the hill.

"Tsubaki will make a distraction." Maka watched the scene before them through the branches of the bush they hid behind; giving him a quick glance every once in awhile. "Then I was planning on stealing the sacrifice." She held her fingers to her chin in thought and that was when Soul noticed that she wasn't wearing her gloves like she had been when he first met her. Her fingers were small and slender…her skin looked soft as well. He almost wanted to kick himself for taking time out of his day to admire things about her, but honestly it was difficult not to. "Maybe you can snatch up the sacrifice while both Tsubaki and I distract the witches. That would make them suspicious of the humans if Mabaa notices _you_ take it."

He almost didn't hear her talk since he'd been so drawn to staring at her with such concentration. He stammered out an 'o-okay' before turning his attention to what was going on at the base of the hill. "But if they notice that magic is involved…don't you think they'll get suspicious that Witches are making an alliance with humans?" Soul didn't plan on saying that but it must have slipped out without his consent. It was a good question, but he learned that if he didn't want to piss her off it was probably best not to question her. Instead of being smacked, however, he noticed that she just shook her head.

"We'll be careful." She then said, eyes focusing hard on the crowd beneath them.

Suddenly, there was a breeze of air behind them, something brushed against the back of his neck—a flower pedal he noticed—and his head whipped around to see that Tsubaki, the librarian from the foundation, had appeared nearby. The pedals of a red flower danced around her for only a moment before returning to her body and placing themselves onto her skin like pieces fitting into a puzzle. Their color morphed into the pale skin color she had last time he saw her, the lines between them disappeared and she opened her eyes to smile gently. He was amazed at the sight. It was almost as if she was made up of the very flowers that were just drifting through the air seconds ago. Was that how she traveled; through the breeze like a broken flower?

"Sorry I'm a little late." She whispered. "I was confronted in the library just as I was about to leave."

Maka shook her head and ushered her over to sit in the grass between the two of them. Once she was close enough, Soul could smell a faint flowery scent on her. It was different than the way Maka smelled but it was still very nice. He'd grown up to believe that witches were old and they all had a fowl stench, but he was proven wrong yet again. Even the two witches beside him were ready to betray their own leader. Did they do this and get away with it every ten years? No, that shouldn't have been right. Ten years ago, Maka was only a child. Who could have been doing it before them? His only answer to that was 'no one at all' because 'no other witches were as crazy as Maka'.

"You brought the human along? I thought he was a prisoner." Tsubaki's voice suddenly rang in his ears and he caught himself staring again.

"No, I just used him to get to Kid." He heard Maka reply from the other side of the "Class C" Witch. He couldn't see her so he wasn't sure how she took the question. "Thank you for taking the key away from the dungeon watcher for me. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

He saw Tsubaki shake her head before turning her gaze down at the crowd again. "No, not a problem at all. It was actually quite easy." Tsubaki then moved her head so she could turn to Soul and he leaned away so he wouldn't seem like he being a creep by being too close. "Nice to see you again, Soul Evans. I suppose you and Maka are friends now?"

"Wha-?"

Just as his lips parted, Maka's body suddenly jumped and she sat up to look over the bush instead of through it's branches. "She's here." Her voice was cold and sharp like a dagger, causing the other two to look over as well. Down below, the figure he had met the night before was hovering over the stone stage that stood in front of the crowd of witches. "There's the sacrifice too." Once he heard Maka's voice again, Soul's eyes drifted to the only two people in the crowd that had started to move. A Witch was holding the hand of a little girl and leading her up to the stage where Mabaa waited. That sense of fear bubbled up inside him again and he could feel anger as well. _That was just a kid_.

"It's always such a young child…" Tsubaki whispered with deep sorrow as she leaned back.

"She's human isn't she?" Soul then asked, looking back to the two of them. He could see Maka now that Tsubaki had sat away from the bush. She was staring down at the scene with what looked like fury and utter loathing in her gaze. She nodded her head slowly before turning to look at her friend beside her.

"Ready? Just make a distraction. Try your best not to be noticed as a magical presence, okay?"

As Maka got to her feet to crouch, Soul did so as well and he followed her down the hill and around the sacrificial building. "Maka." He called out to her as they got to ground level and even though she didn't respond to him, he continued. "If you hate the humans so much, why do you keep helping them?"

"She's just a child." Maka shot back. "She doesn't deserve to die to give an evil witch more life."

Soul quickly joined her behind one of the pillars that they had appeared by when they first arrived and he watched as she peeked around again to see what was going on. "You're one weird Witch." His voice was a little louder than he planned it to be. He saw her shoulders jump but then noticed that she may have chosen to ignore that when she never responded to it.

"When Tsubaki starts, go around back…get on the stage and take the girl," Was all that she said to him. "Be quick and don't be seen long enough to make eye contact with any of the witches. Don't look at anyone but the girl."

"I learned the hard way not to make eye contact." Soul said in reply, his gaze drifting over to the hill where Tsubaki was. "How do I know when she starts anyway?"

"I'll tell you." Her voice sounded shaky, as if she were nervous. He then felt pressure on his right arm and looked over to see that she was leaning on the pillar and up against his side. Her eyes were closed and she was taking a couple deep breaths in order to prepare herself. That told him that even someone like her could get nervous and it didn't help to calm his racing heart at all.

"Here she comes." Her sudden whisper came too soon. "Get ready."

The breeze picked up, the trees swayed and his white hair began to lift up and toss around his face. Soul looked back up to the hill and saw a bundle of red flower pedals lift into the air and then scatter. The wind threw them around in the air and then suddenly the breeze got even faster and the leaves were torn from the trees around them. Most of the Witches didn't seem to notice, but once it started, Mabaa looked away from the child in front of her and scanned the area with her single eye.

"Go."

He felt a hand press against his back and looked to see that Maka was holding her wand with one hand and pushing him with the other. And even though he felt his stomach in his throat, Soul nodded to her and broke into a run in an instant. He ran as fast and as quietly as he could as he felt the wind pick up again. It wasn't strong enough to push anyone around but at this point he was sure that it was enough to be noticed. He took a sharp glance through the pillars as they sped by and he saw in a flash that all the witches at this point were looking around to find the source of the sudden gust.

As he got closer to the stage, the presence of the Grand Witch began to be known to him again. That pressure on his shoulders returned and he could feel that his sprint was beginning to slow down. It was starting to get harder for him to move on, but he managed to get behind the stage and slip by the pillars to get to the stone slab and get ready to go. He knelt down so he wouldn't be seen and then raised himself enough to peek over the top and see where the young human girl was. She was lying on the ground, eyes closed and she was wearing some sort of ceremonial dress and as soon as he got a closer look at her face, he felt his eyes widen.

"Rachel?"

As soon as he said the little girl's name, her eyes snapped open. Then, as if she had been put under some sort of spell and was broken away from it, she looked around frantically to find out where she was. It wasn't long after that until she had begun to scream since she realized Mabaa was looking down at her with a knife floating nearby.

"Shit." Soul noticed that Maka was about to cast a spell from the entrance of the ruined building, but he wasn't going to wait for that last little distraction before he could save Rachel from the Grand Witch. He threw himself up onto the stage and ran over to her just as Mabaa held the knife up in a swinging motion and when she swung down, he grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her over to him.

Holding Rachel's small form close, Soul shot Mabaa a cross look before turning away to make his escape. He made sure not to make eye contact this time, but unfortunately the "Class A" Witch was able to cast a spell before he could get off the stage. That same feeling he got when he teleported with Maka began to come over him and he felt his feet slip off the ground. The Witch was trying to teleport them somewhere, but where could it have been?

Just when he felt like he was done for, he felt another similar sensation come by him. A bright white light zoomed past his vision and then an incredible shock wave followed, destroying the stadium, throwing people into the air and breaking the spell that Mabaa had cast upon him. He and Rachel too were thrown into the air and off of the stage, but he made sure that the little girl in his arms would be safe and if anyone was going to land and break a bone or two, it was going to be him and him alone.

* * *

><p>AH DEVELOPMENT<p>

KINDA

sorry this is probably going by so slowly o-o

xoxo


	9. Chapter 9

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 9

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><p>While he slept, images of his past flashed before his closed lids. The picture was hazy but he knew exactly what it all was, and frankly, he thought those memories were pushed away into the very far reaches of his mind. A woman with dark brown hair spilling over her shoulders had approached him as he sat outside waiting for his Mother. He was sitting by the flowers since she had been out there trimming them like she normally did on the weekends and she had just gone inside to grab them something to drink. The woman who then appeared was unfamiliar to him, but he listened to her anyway when she knelt down beside him to offer something. What it was, he couldn't remember, but he knew he was quick to take it.<p>

Why did he agree though? His Mother had stressed to him just how dangerous it was to talk to strangers, and yet he was easily enchanted by the woman's kind smile. She offered him a hand and he took it and the last thing he remembered after that was that she had led him into the forest and away from his home.

Then, as if there was a page torn from a book, his memories skipped forward and he was standing in the desert that sat outside of the city with a different woman kneeling down in front of him. She had just spoken his name, and her forest green eyes were filled with relief. He wasn't quite sure what had happened, but she took him home and back to his Mother none the less. Whatever it could have been was best forgotten anyway, he told himself, because he was alive and well and it was as if he had never disappeared at all.

But still…Soul couldn't shake off the feeling that during that bit of memory he couldn't manifest in the back of his mind, he had been the one chosen as Mabaa's sacrifice and rescued by the woman with sandy hair; hair that scarcely resembled that of the "Class B" Witch that he had suddenly found himself so fond of.

She saved him didn't she?

"Maka…"

"Mr. Soul?"

Snowy eyelashes fluttered and soon Soul's eyes were open to reveal to him that he'd been knocked back and into the brush behind the ruins. Tiny hands were placed on his chest and he saw that the girl he'd saved, Rachel, was on her knees beside him and shaking his body with every bit of strength she had. He raised a hand and took her shoulder, finding a weak smile forming on his lips. She was okay…he was glad for that, but he didn't feel too hot himself unfortunately.

"Hey…you're okay right?" He asked her quietly. "No broken bones?"

Rachel shook her head just slightly. "I'm okay."

Soul found himself reaching up to shake her hair under his hand just when the small girl finally burst into tears. She threw herself into his chest and began to wail and even though he wanted to tell her to shut up, the musician found himself leaning back against the shrub to let her get everything out. She was just a child and everything that had happened must have spooked her, so he'd let the waterworks go on for as long as they needed to.

"Thank goodness you're okay."

His red gaze shifted and found a figure standing near the ruins just a few feet away. Everything behind her looked destroyed and no one else was to be seen; indicating that the Witches had all scattered after the void attack that blew him into that position in the first place.

The corner of Soul's lips twitched up slightly. "I think I sprained my shoulder though…"

Tsubaki smiled at him in return and then let out a soft sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised with how much strength Maka put into that spell." Her gaze found a figure to her left and Soul looked to see Maka standing nearby; eyes mindlessly staring into the back of Rachel's head.

"You knew her name." Maka quickly said after what seemed like minutes of silence between all of them—side for Rachel's quite sobs. The "Class B" moved closer and she knelt down to reach out hesitantly and touch the girl's shoulder. "You said it. That's why she came to her senses. The spell is broken if someone speaks the child's name." Her green eyes softened sympathetically at the girl before looking to the male holding her. Now her eyes was scolding, solid and he could feel his shoulders tense. "That was really stupid of you. Because of that, you got caught before I could distract everyone."

"Well _sorry_…" Soul mumbled sarcastically after finding his left shoulder to strike a little pain. "_I didn't know_."

"How do you know her?"

Soul was caught a little off guard by her suddenness but he managed to look away and back to the girl shaking in his arms. "She's the daughter of a friend." He then said. "Well—_er_…one of my Mom's friends." Patting down the light brown hair on the girl's head, he faced Maka and Tsubaki once more. "I know where she lives so I can take her home…"

He noticed Tsubaki's head bow in a nod and just afterwards, her body broke into pieces and was blown away in the wind like flower pedals caught in the breeze. It still took his breath away, he was barely able to find his voice when Maka immediately asked for his condition afterwards.

"I—…I'm fine." Stuttering out his response, Soul finally began to push himself up out of the bushes. "Rachel, let's go." As soon as he said her name, the young girl looked up into his eyes with puffy eyes of her own and he couldn't help but narrow his in concern. Poor thing. She must have been so afraid. "I'll take you home okay…?"

"O-Okay…"

Before they could set off and leave the ruins, however, Maka reached out and took Rachel by the shoulder and turned her around. "I'm really sorry about this." She then said, causing a spark of curiosity within the male nearby. Maka then held out her wand and tapped it against the girl's forehead, mumbling what sounded like a spell under her breath, and then within seconds, Rachel was unconscious.

Soul's body stood cold. "Wh-What did you just—"

"I erased her memory." Maka answered his question before he could even get it out. He was going to ask why, but he was distracted when she offered the human girl to him to be carried. He lifted her into his arms as she then reached into her small bag at her side to find what he assumed would be a photograph of her home, but instead, when she pulled it out for him to see, he noticed that it was a picture of the very front gates to Death City. "This way you won't have to climb over that stone wall or get wet on the way back…"

She placed it against the hand that was holding Rachel's body up, and she pressed it down just enough so that it was touching both of them. Then, before he could get anything out, the world was spinning and he had sucked in a quick breath to hold in his lunch. He was desperate not to let this get to him this time around so by the time they appeared in front of the city, the only thing that made him sick in the end was the fact that he'd been holding his breath for too long.

"Smooth." Maka snorted as he gasped for air.

"Shut up."

There was silence between them and he didn't dare move away from her. He hoisted Rachel into a more comfortable position on his back and then turned to look at Maka as her eyes stared up at the gates. This hadn't been the first time she stood outside of the City, so why did it seem as if she'd never seen such a beautiful thing in her life before?

"Are you going to get in trouble?" His voice was toned down in a soft whisper, as if he were afraid someone would hear him.

She pulled her gaze away from the gates in front of them and eyed him carefully. Then as she hummed a song between her pursed lips, he saw her fold her hands behind her back. "Nah." She let out an audible scoff before turning away from him. "I'm sure it looked like I was attacking you for interrupting the ceremony so I'm sure I'm off the hook. You, on the other hand, should be careful since she ended up seeing your face."

"She'd seen it before that too." Soul sharply interjected. Maka's body stiffened but she didn't look at him. "The last time she saw me, I was with you. That's got to raise suspicion don't you think?"

She was quiet for a long moment and he swore he saw her shoulders shaking. "…I-I'll be okay." Her hand rose at her side and she shook it as if she were waving the matter away. "I always am. I've been pretty rebellious for a long time. Mabaa's never been too suspicious of me."

Soul wasn't sure what to say to her after that so the only things heard between the two of them were the sounds of nature and Rachel's quiet breathing in his ear. Finally she raised her hand a little more and held it in a familiar position, ready to snap her fingers together. That was when he finally found his voice again and he spoke up.

"Wait. Hold on." He made sure to get her before she could disappear from his sight. She didn't say anything, but instead, she lowered her arm and turned herself around to face him. Her expression revealed to be calm but he could sense the impatience behind her viridian eyes. So he went on with it staring back with curious vermilian. "If you've had the power to erase my memory this whole time, why haven't you?"

Maka stared at him for brief amount of time before her cheeks lit up and she balled her hands into fists. "You—" She caught her words as if she was being careful about what she was going to say to him. Her face was blazing and it only added to the confused flutter he felt in his chest. She seemed to be struggling with herself and the second she finally blurted it out, her voice cracked and she swung her hand up to disappear before he could say anything else to her. Her words caused a second wave of blood to rush to her cheeks and when she was gone, he could have sworn his own cheeks were beginning to warm to the touch.

"Y-You're different, _okay?_!"

* * *

><p>No matter how long he walked for after he entered the city, Soul couldn't stop himself from grinning like an idiot. What was it really? The fact that Maka got flustered around him or the fact that she was just too damn cute? He couldn't put his finger on it but honestly who the hell cared? He sure didn't. All he knew was that he was finally getting somewhere with the "Class B" Witch Maka Albarn.<p>

After leaving Rachel outside of her house and giving the door a good warning knock, Soul turned back to start for home. He wouldn't wait for the girl's Mother to open the door to save the trouble of explaining himself. If he tried to do such a thing he would wind up babbling like an idiot like he would in front of his own Mother. Really, there wasn't a chance he'd be able to explain that one, so he might as well leave the girl's rescuer anonymous.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he found himself letting out a groan in weariness. He wondered what the time was as his eyes wandered around aimlessly at his surroundings in hopes he'd spot a clock hung up somewhere. Death City was in need of a clock tower, but people were too busy repairing buildings and homes because of Witch attacks to be worried about that sort of thing. He would have checked his phone but somewhere during the mess he'd gotten into the night before, the battery had run low and died.

"Hey Soul, what's up!"

A loud booming voice cut through his thoughts like a knife and Soul found himself jumping in surprise. That voice belonged to Black*Star but why in the world had he run into him in the middle of town? Soul looked up and eyed the blue haired boy just a few feet down the cobblestone road and relaxed his shoulders so he wouldn't seem so paranoid, but Black*Star had caught on before he managed to do so.

"What? Are you intimidated by my awesome presence?"

"Shut up. I'm tired." Soul muttered under his breath, a hand placing against the side of his head to indicate that he had a headache. He was feeling a bit exhausted because of the past events and all he wanted to do was go home and sleep it off. Maybe then he would be in a better mood around his friend.

"That's what you get for waking up early." Black*Star laughed, hands on his hips. His boasting attitude really was annoying but Soul couldn't help but wonder just what the hell he meant by waking up _early_. "I thought you usually waited last minute before you went to school?"

"W-What?" Soul felt his stomach drop. "You mean…I-It's Friday morning?"

"Yeah dude." The other boy replied. "Did you stay up partying all night or what?"

Soul was about to scream out in dread. It made sense but honestly he didn't even think about the logic. Of _course_ it was the next morning. He'd been out most of the night and he even slept for a while after Maka had knocked him out with her void spell. When he awoke, the air was crisp, the sky was new and all the chaos seemed to be a thing of the past.

Come to think of it, he did have one wild night…but it wasn't anything like Black*Star mentioned.

"You could say that." Soul uttered out before groaning tiredly. "I assume you're on your way to school?"

"Yep! Want to walk with your bestest friend?" The tank of a boy smacked his hand on Soul's shoulder, a high amount of haughtiness in his tone. "I heard the Witch we're going up against today is a dude! He's a "Class C" all about wolves or something! I can't wait to kick his ass! Today is going to be _so_ awesome! But not as awesome as _me_! YA-HAAAA!"

Just as the two of them were about to start up the stairs to the school, Soul managed to get a good punch to the other boy's gut out of irritation. He was being way too loud for being up so early in the morning, and it only made the musician's head pulse. He was not awake enough for this…and he sure as hell wouldn't be awake enough to take on the "Class C" Wolf Witch without getting himself beat senseless.

* * *

><p>Soul could have considered himself lucky for the fact that Free, the "Class C" they were up against, was as clumsy as he was powerful. He was a strong being, with an eye that gave him the chills and a form that would frighten even the cool headed Death the Kid. During their battle, the man had taken on the form of a wolf and the words 'no future' were printed in his grey fur and towering over Soul's head mockingly. It wasn't that or Free that scared him most, however, but the eye in his left socket that sat below the statement. It seemed awfully familiar and the feeling he got deep within his chest by looking into it was the same he felt when he stood before Mabaa's gaze.<p>

Were they connected?

Did that left eye belong to _her_?

Soul's was too distracted by this anxious thoughts to duck down when Free swung his arm to smack his body aside like it was nothing. He hit the ground hard and felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. He'd forgotten about the sprain when Maka had hit him with her void attack the night before. It didn't help him keep up with the fight against this new Witch at all. Honestly though, this thing they were all going up against was more like a _monster_ than a witch. He reminded him of the Kishin that he heard about in stories, the Kishin certain witches would keep as pets.

Had this wolf man been one of those pets before he'd taken on magic? To Soul, it made a lot of sense after he considered the fact that his left eye might have belonged to Mabaa. The Grand Witch was missing her left eye after all, and that feeling Free gave him just by looking his way was that same tense feeling he got that made him want to vomit and crumble to the ground in a pitiful mess.

He really knew nothing. He was weak and pathetic.

Soul wasn't as strong as he thought he was. He couldn't even stand correctly in the presence of a "Class C" Witch let alone swing a sword at him without being knocked around. He'd been doing alright the first couple matches but now that the fights were getting tougher, Soul was beginning to feel more and more incapable. He was lucky that the damn wolf was clumsy enough to have his magic turn against him or Soul was sure he would have been killed already. He knew Stein wouldn't let something like that happen during classes, but he couldn't help but feel like he wouldn't have been able to stop Free from blasting Soul into the afterlife with one of those rays of light that shot from his magic eye.

"Ah! I'm just a little rusty!" Free shouted, finding himself stuck in some sort of ice block spell. Soul assumed he had these elemental powers because of his left eye, but he didn't think about that for much longer as he found himself lying there on the ground aimlessly staring off. "I haven't been thrown into the pin in quite a while so I just need to get used to the flow again. Yeah!" The Wolf was talking to Stein now as he was rolled back into the cage at the other end of the arena. Then finally, he fell quiet and everyone was on the ground or leaning on something to catch their breath. Free was definitely the hardest opponent they've had so far.

"Good work everyone." Stein humbly said as he watched everyone from behind his round glasses. He then turned to Soul who kept his body on the ground where he'd been thrown last during the fight and saw that his eyes were closed and his breath had slowed and become steady. Taking the cigarette from between his lips, he older man walked over and crouched down to make sure the boy was alright. He noticed that Soul had been conscious just a minute ago before he took Free back to his cell, so he realized that the young man had just fallen asleep. "…knocked out cold I see." The teacher mumbled under his breath. "He must have been tired. He didn't put up a very good fight either."

"Soul stayed up partying last night or something!" Black*Star said to their professor as he approached from behind. "I'm surprised he was able to keep on his feet without passing out." He laughed a bit and lifted his foot to push it against Soul's thigh. "He's lucky that I was there to keep him safe! What a reckless guy!" Then he was set off on a laughing fit loud enough to wake the white haired boy up from his well needed nap.

The first thing he did as soon as his eyes opened again was let out a strained groan of protest. It came out on instinct and he didn't even think about it but at least the boy with gravity defying hair fell silent once he heard it. Even though he'd woken up then, Soul managed to fall asleep once they were back in class. Normally they had class, and then fought in the arena but on Fridays they switched that around and had an early morning battle before cramming their heads with information before the weekend.

Kid stopped him while he was on his way home after their classes. He would have preferred to get straight there and lay down for another nap but the black and white haired boy thought it would be alright to hang out with him for a little while. On any other day Soul probably would have said yes without a second's thought, but he was dying to close his eyes and rest his head for a little while longer. His shoulder hurt and he felt mentally exhausted from everything that had happened the past couple hours.

But in the end, he still couldn't say 'No' to the guy.

"Why did they come along?" Soul mumbled in question as he, Death the Kid, Liz and Patty all sat outside a small café called Deathbucks that was right down the street from the school. This normally wasn't Soul's sort of hang out but he wouldn't say he'd spend time with the guy and then leave once they got to their destination. The musician settled with a cup of black coffee in hopes it would revive him but he couldn't help but wonder why the Thompson sisters had come with them. He knew that they were best friends with Kid back before he'd been taken away so it was possible they were just with him to catch up, but he thought that Kid wanted to hang out with Soul and Soul only. Maybe they were all just glued to the hips these days.

"Liz and Patty are coming to live with me again. So they'll be coming along with me wherever I go." Kid lifted his mug full of cappuccino to his lips and blew on the foam that sat on top. "I could send them home if you'd like that better, Soul?" In reply, the musician shook his head and eyed the girls as they talked among themselves over their cappuccinos. "Ah…" His golden eyes fell to gaze at the foam sitting atop his drink and the second he did so, Soul noticed his eyebrows furrow in irritation. He could only let out a soft sigh when he noticed that Kid was probably stressing about the foam being asymmetrical.

"Just drink it…" He mumbled. "It'll go away if you do."

"I-I can't." Kid hoarsely replied.

Before either of them could do anything else, a spoon was dropped into the young Shinigami's coffee and it was spun around to stir it. Kid nearly had a stroke. "A-Ah! Liz, what on Earth are you—"

"I'm saving you the trouble." Liz replied, stirring his coffee without a care in the world. Soul just watched her as a thin smile was graced on her lips. Something in that gaze she wore toward the boy surprised him yet it almost seemed familiar. He'd seen his Mother look at his Father that way before…and he could have sworn he noticed Wes wear a similar face when he day dreamed and hummed a soft melody to himself. What was it? Admiration? _Love_?

"So, Soul." Kid's voice suddenly sounded calm as it tore Soul's eyes away from the black liquids inside his cup. "How is Maka doing?" As soon as the boy asked this, he felt his body tense again and his gaze darted over to the sisters as they went about their conversation. Did they hear that? If so they were probably just ignoring it. "I left without you so I thought you stayed behind to have a little chat with her."

"I…I didn't." Soul lied. "I went straight home. She doesn't like me. Said she'd kill me if I showed up again so…"

"Who're you talking about?" It was Patty's voice that suddenly came up and Soul immediately shook his head.

"No one."

Soul threw back the rest of his coffee before placing the cup back down on the table surface and letting out an relaxed sigh. Kid was way too reckless talking about Maka in front of the girls and especially in public. He figured they wouldn't mind if he just mentioned her as a girl he knew but then they would get curious and he wouldn't hear the end of it. They absolutely loved gossip and drama-in fact, they _craved_ it-and Soul having a potential 'girlfriend' was no exception to that. If they got too curious, then they would eventually figure out that Maka was a Witch, and then where would he be? Then they would think he'd been secretly 'dating' a Witch and that was definitely the opposite of what he was trying to do.

The last thing he ever wanted was to _date_ Maka Albarn.

* * *

><p>Stop lying to yourself buddy<p>

*cough*

hi i love you guys thanks for reading


	10. Chapter 10

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 10

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><p>Surprisingly, the coffee was just what he needed to get himself through the forest and to the cove Maka lived in. The climb over the cliff however was another story. He always had a little bit of trouble hoisting himself up and over to get to the other side. She wasn't anywhere to be seen like usual so he went ahead and walked over to the fire pit to sit down on the rock he'd first spotted her on when he came to that side of the cove. He dug the end of his foot into the dirt and sighed to himself.<p>

Maybe he just missed her. It was possible that she went off to go do something else while she was alone, or maybe because of what had happened the night before she'd been taken away and thrown into the dungeons of the foundation. He hoped it was the first theory. If anyone was going to throw her into a cage it was going to be him, not the other witches.

He was about to get to his feet and start heading home when suddenly a loud popping noise erupted in front of him and the very Witch he'd come to see appeared near her front. He nearly jumped out of skin when it happened and then he saw that she had her back to him and a little bag in one of her hands. Was that a grocery bag? She wasn't even dressed like a Witch either. She wore a small red plaid skirt and a cream colored sweater vest over a white long sleeve shirt. She looked absolutely normal, almost as if she'd just gone to the grocery store with her family and come home to put everything away.

As if she'd _just_ noticed his presence, Maka stood ridged and looked over her shoulder to see him where he sat and then finally she turned all the way and raised one of her eyebrows. She was already showing off her dominant side. "How long have you been sitting there?" She asked him, and as if her voice was soothing despite being so harsh, he felt all the tension in his body fade and even his shoulder felt a little better. "I was only gone for twenty minutes or so…"

"I've only been here for less five minutes, I think." Soul replied. "What's in the bag?"

"Uh…" He noticed her eyes dart down to the little grocery bag in her hands before she turned to go inside without an answer. His jaw slacked in disbelief and he waited for her to come back out. Although, after what seemed like an hour but was only just a minute, Soul finally got to his feet and decided that she didn't want to talk to him. Why she wasn't going to just kill him was shocking especially after how much she had tried to convince him that he'd be dead if he trespassed again.

As he turned around, he heard the door open again and he couldn't help but look to see what she had in store for him. She was back in her original outfit—the brown one with the big Witch hat towering over her head. She still had the grocery bag in her right hand as she used the other to close the door behind her. Then she eyed him carefully, wearing a sheepish smile across her lips. "I-…I didn't want to change in front of you so…"

"W-What?"

Maka shook her head. "N-Never mind that!" He could have sworn he saw her reach for her spell book but she relaxed and dropped her guard again before turning to walk away from him and away from her home. "I'm leaving now. Goodbye."

Soul would have left but he felt his body move towards her instead. "Wait. You're leaving again?" He saw her hesitate but she continued walking over to a path that led up the cliff on the opposite side of the cove. "Hey, wait up. Maka."

"Go home." She shot over her shoulder. "Didn't I tell you that I'd kill you if you came back here?"

"Well you haven't." Soul shot back. "And I've come back twice."

Finally Maka came to a stop at the beginning of the path and she turned to face him. She looked surprised and he made sure to prepare himself if she were to whip out the wand and attack him. Although she did nothing but stare at him quietly, green eyes moving back and forth between the two of his. Her expression softened and he noticed her let out a quiet sigh. That was the opposite of what he expected.

Soul reached up and mindlessly rubbed his fingers against the side of his head. "Let me guess…" He saw her raise an eyebrow as he finally spoke up again. "You're going on to perform another rebellious act?"

He saw her smile down at him and he dropped his arm back to his side. "Actually no…" The bag shook as she held it up for him to see it. Soul's eyes narrowed as he tried to examine what was inside it, but he couldn't tell exactly. "I'm going to pay a visit to a friend." She then explained. Then, after noticing his gaze fall, she let the bag rest at her side again and she started down the path to come a little closer to him. At that position he was able to see what was inside the grocery bag. She had chocolate in there…and he thought he saw marshmallows too.

"Do you want to come?" She seemed reluctant to ask. "I'm sure she'd love to have you. She likes new people."

Soul was surprised. He never thought he'd hear her offer something like that in at least a few weeks maybe. She already trusted him enough to introduce him to one of her friends? His lips parted to answer but he hesitated in the initial reply. Instead of actually answering her however, he wound up asking her a question instead. "She's…a Witch?"

"Well yeah." Maka shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him a little wider. "You're my only human friend."

Then, as if she'd cursed the Gods, Maka's lips slapped shut and they stared at each other for a little while longer. Her cheeks reddened and he was sure his cheeks were in the same condition. But why? He was surprised to hear something like that come from her but it wasn't like he was happy about that or anything, right? Maybe a little. The happiness he felt was probably because it meant she trusted him just enough for him to carry out with his plan. But then again…

Why couldn't he help but feel like his heart had faltered for just a moment?

"Sorry I just…" Maka raised a hand to tug on one of her pig tails. He assumed it was a nervous gesture she'd adopted over the years but this had been the first time he'd seen her do it. "I just figured that's what you wanted since you won't leave me alone." She managed to smile again and shook her head. "Silly me, I should just shut my mouth."

"No." Soul raised a hand and waved it, suddenly feeling flustered. "Friends. Yeah. Sounds cool."

What a refreshing and bright kind of smile she wore once he said that to her. She seemed so _happy_ and for a second he felt a hint of guilt deep within the pain in his chest. "Okay!" She whipped her tailed head around and began to climb up the path again, Soul not long to follow. "Come on, I promised her I'd come by before it got too dark!"

"No teleporting or anything today?" He questioned, setting his hands in his pockets. He received a short glance from her over her shoulder for that and he returned it with a smirk. "Do'ya think I'll barf on you or something?"

He heard her laugh once they got to the top of the cliff and entered the forest. "She doesn't live very far actually so I like to walk there." Another snicker passed her lips and he noticed that she was walking a little faster than him on purpose. He assumed it was because she was just about to tease him. "But yeah I suppose even if she did live far, I wouldn't want you to throw up on me anyway!" He assumed right. "I don't think you'll ever get used to it."

"Well if you skip out on it, then I'll never get used to it." Soul muttered, kicking a rock that he was absolutely positive wouldn't end up throwing him to the ground. "Dumb Witch."

The last thing he remembered before hitting the ground was her giant spell book being thrown into his face.

* * *

><p>Eventually, they made it to where he presumed was their destination. It was about a twenty minute walk and for the most part, it was quiet between the two of them. Although she hummed and whistled the entire time and it only stuck a cord within him. Not a bad cord, however, because it made him feel like writing for his music. Finally he wanted to start working on his piece but he'd left his notebook in his room last time he was there. Soul grumbled to himself at that thought and looked around at their surroundings to get his mind off of it. Hopefully he would be able to get the muse back once he was home again later.<p>

He noticed that they had come to the edge of the forest in the opposite direction of his home. All he could see was the vast desert and that they were on a cliff that went straight down for at least a mile before meeting with it. Around them there was a long brick wall and a few pillars that led to a small house with what looked like an iguana shape for a roof. His head tilted curiously and it did even more so when he noticed that there was caution tape wrapped around everything saying 'keep out'. He assumed it was to ward away humans that were lost and wandered too close.

What kind of Witch was Maka going to go see?

"Hello!?" Maka called out in a sweet voice, waving her free hand toward the house. He turned his attention to her and watched as she stopped near a little campsite like the one in front of her home and then she set the little bag down by her feet. "Angela! Mifune! It's Maka!" Her voice boomed over the calm breeze he could feel as he came up to stand beside her and look toward the strange house.

"Maka!" The front door swung open and to his surprise, instead of an intimidatingly powerful grown woman revealing herself, a little girl jumped out. She was wearing a little Witch hat, had gloves on and a small dress over her tiny body as well. Her eyes were huge and filled with life and the hat atop her head almost resembled the roof on top of her home. She must have been the Witch. Soul couldn't help but stare at her as she ran over and threw herself into Maka's arms and the two of them spun around laughing cheerfully; obviously happy to see each other. "I'm so happy to see you!" The girl laughed. "You haven't come to visit in a long time, I missed you!"

"Well to make up for it, I brought stuff to make s'mores!" Maka replied after setting the little brown haired girl down on her feet. She then turned to face Soul, who was still staring in disbelief, and she held a hand out to gesture to him. "This is my friend Soul. He'll be joining us. He's human but he's nice." She looked up at him and then glanced over to the house. "For the most part."

He wasn't even paying all that much attention or else he would have snapped at her for that comment. Even if he had been, he wouldn't have been able to say anything since once he was introduced; the little Witch Angela had trotted over to him and taken his hand to shake it wildly. Why was he in so much shock? She was just a child. Yet at the same time, she was a Witch. He'd just been introduced to a child Witch and the guilt in his chest began to bother him a lot more.

"Oh, Soul this is Mifune." Maka's voice tore him from his thoughts and he looked up from Angela and noticed that there was a man standing on the other side of the older Witch. He had light colored hair and dark eyes and even though there was a sword at his waist, Soul didn't feel very intimidated at all. "He's Angela's guardian. He's human too."

"H-He is?" Whoa. So he wasn't the only human hanging around a Witch then? No, he couldn't have been in the same situation as Soul was. He'd never seen him in Death City before and even he was too much of a softy to trick a little girl. "Uh…hey." He swallowed the lump in his throat and held his hand out since the other's had been offered. "Nice to meet you…"

"You as well."

"Maka start the fire already so we can have those s'mores!" Angela jumped up and down and ran around them to go sit by fire pit and Mifune was close to follow her.

Then Soul turned his attention to Maka and reached out to tug at her sleeve. "I thought you said I was your only human friend?" He then asked, his voice hushed in a whisper as to not accidentally offend Mifune. He saw Maka shake her head as she pulled away from him to go do what Angela asked of her.

"I've never really considered him a friend but I guess you're right…"

Soul got that feeling within his chest again as she knelt down to light the wood in the pit and then started to take out the things she had in the little grocery bag. Mifune set down a small table near her so she could put everything down and whisper reassuring things to the tiny Witch sitting across from her. He couldn't help but think that maybe what she said meant he was the first human she actually considered friendly thoughts toward. Maybe she was nice to Mifune when she came to visit Angela, but the fact that she didn't consider a human to be a friend until _he_ showed up made him feel…well…it made him feel good.

Was that supposed to happen?

"Come on Mr. Soul and come sit down with us!" Angela swung her hand down on the dirt next to her and smiled up at him cheerfully. He hesitated, but soon moved to walk around the pit and sit between her and Maka. He watched carefully as Maka put a marshmallow on the tip of Angela's wand and once the girl had it back, she was holding it over the fire in a second.

"Wont that damage the wand?" Soul asked once he noticed Maka put a marshmallow on her's as well.

She shook her head. "Nah. Wands are tough. We shoot an incredible amount of energy out of them all the time; they can stand being over an open flame for a few minutes." She flashed him a little know-it-all smile before turning her attention to Mifune. "Would you like a s'more? I bought a bag of skewer sticks just in case…" Mifune shook his head so she turned back to Soul. "What about you?"

"Uh…sure."

Once Soul got a stick and a marshmallow, he was stuck in whole other world. Suddenly to him it didn't feel like he was sitting around a fire with a couple of Witches but with some friends, relaxing and telling stories and watching as the sun set in the distance. He found himself smiling and actually enjoying the company and every once in a while he was captivated by the things Maka would say. Angela had stories to tell as well, and she told Soul how she and Mifune had come across each other. It reminded him of how he and Maka met. A human and a witch came across each other, and even though the human had to kill the witch, they became friends and spent a lot of friendly time together.

That was when he realized that his feelings for the witch weren't as hostile as he tried to convince himself to be. He was embarrassed to think it, but he had actually grown quite fond of the girl those past couple days hadn't he? He knew this to be true because once he thought about it, the girl had smiled at him and his heart melted. Now it almost seemed as if the thought of that smile on her face disappearing would make him want to punch something until his knuckles bled.

The plan to gain her trust and betray her seemed crazy to him all of a sudden. He knew now that he didn't want to do it anymore. He refused to. He didn't know what he was going to do about all of this but he sure as hell wasn't going to stab her in the back the second she turned away from him. He felt a lot closer to her than he thought he would ever get and even though that scared him deep down, he was sort of happy about it. He had a friend in her and he had a friend in Angela too. She seemed to warm up to him real easily and that only caused him to think about how terrible humans treated them. In the end, he was starting to wish that the humans and witches could just live together in peace.

Honestly, he was starting to think that the Witches weren't as bad as the teachers made them out to be.

"Do you have any…uh, classes or anything tomorrow?"

Soul realized Maka had spoken to him when he was lost in his thoughts, so he brought his head up and looked toward her. He noticed that it was now completely dark outside and the only light reflecting in her eyes was the flicker of the fire in front of them. He had a marshmallow on a stick sitting over it in front of him, and before he could respond he noticed that it got too hot and fell off. "Uh…" He almost reached in to the fire to grab it but retreated his hand when he realized it was long gone and that was also a very bad idea. "No, tomorrows Saturday so—"

He saw Maka perk up a little, but look away with her cheeks puffed out stubbornly. "Okay so uh…do you want to hang out or something then?"

All of the different sounds around them seemed to drown out the second she asked him this. He sat up straight and even almost dropped the stick he once had the marshmallow on. She _wanted_ to hang out with him? "Yeah sure." He finally managed to reply before looking away and up toward the moon that hung in the sky above them. "Did you want to cause some mischief with me again or what?"

"No I kind of just want to hang out." He couldn't see her but he could tell by the way she said that her lips were pursed together tightly. Soul brought his gaze back down to her and went to respond but when he felt something lean against his other side, he turned his attention to that instead. When he looked, he saw that Angela had fallen asleep. "Ah…I guess it's about time we put her to bed."

"I'll take her." Mifune finally spoke up and stood to take the young witch from Soul's side. When he did, he turned to go take her into the house and left him and Maka outside by the fire alone.

While they sat alone in silence, he did what he did best and thought about what had gone on these past couple of days. He set the stick down and held his hands together in his lap and then he let out a soft sigh. It was quiet between them and yet he had so many things he'd been dying to ask her. Now that he had a chance to ask her something he really couldn't come up with anything. He narrowed his eyes at the flame and glanced over to the girl sitting beside him. He examined her features and the expression she wore on her wan face. She was staring at the little house across the way and her fingers were knotted together in front of her delicately. That's when he noticed she hadn't been wearing her gloves again. He remembered they were the same color as the patch she had on her shoulder.

Reminded of the patch, Soul's eyes shifted over to the girl's shoulder and read over the cursive M that stood before the curved blade sewn into the fabric. Ah that's right…he remembered now; she had a connection to Soul Eater didn't she?

"Hm…"

His humming seemed to catch the girl's attention since she had turned her head his way and stared for a moment. He assumed she would have asked what he was staring at but she only creased her brow at him. So he lifted an eyebrow at her in return before sitting up straight again.

"What?"

Maka smiled, pulling her knees close to her chest. "I interrupted a thought didn't I? Sorry."

"It's okay." Soul replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I was actually about to ask you a question." Seeing her tilt her head onto her knees to watch him, he went ahead and continued. "Your connection with Soul Eater…am I allowed to know yet?"

He saw her shoulders tense but she didn't move her head away from her knees. Her eyes, however, seemed to narrow but he could tell it wasn't meant to intimidate him. "No." She whispered it quietly and closed her eyes. "I don't think I'm comfortable discussing it just yet."

"Okay…" He had to admit he was a little disappointed but at least she had confirmed that there was something connecting her to the scythe. Ah but that was alright. He had some other questions sitting in the back of his mind too so he'd just bring those up eventually. He didn't want to go home yet because Maka hadn't moved from where she sat either. They had time to just sit around and talk…but about what?

"Can I talk to you about the sacrificial ceremony thing?"

Soul looked up from the ground when he heard her voice and he noticed that her eyes were still closed. "Sure." He nodded even if she couldn't see it and then fell silent to let her talk. This had actually been something that was on his mind too. He didn't think about it since earlier that morning and he actually almost forgot about it so he was glad she brought it up. Well sort of.

"I've always hated it." Maka continued. "I heard that many years before I was born, Mabaa used to take children from the Witches." He furrowed his eyebrows and watched as she turned her head to hide her face away from him. "She controls us with fear y'know? Honestly most of us wouldn't do the sort of things we did if she wasn't running the show." He heard a sigh muffled pass her lips. "That's how she got the children. She'd force families to offer up their children so they could be killed in front of them for Mabaa's youth to be replenished. There's a Witch named Maleya that puts a spell on the children so they don't make a fuss. It's like they're put in a trance so they don't scream or try to run away…but then we learned the hard way that calling out their name breaks the spell. A scared Mother would call out to her child during the ceremony and the little boy or girl would come to and start screaming."

"That's what happened when I called out to Rachel…" Soul mumbled quietly.

He noticed Maka's head bob slightly in response. "That's exactly why Mabaa decided to start abducting human children." He felt his heart wench within his chest and his lips pursed together tightly. What a horrible thing… "None of the Witches would call out their names that way so she decided that it was the best thing. For a long time my Mama saved the children. She'd go into the city, learn their names and rescue them. But then she finally got caught and because Mabaa already hated me…she threw my Mama away to rot in the dungeon for the rest of her life." He didn't notice the bitter smile that spread across her lips. "My Mama is the reason why I wanted to save Rachel. I didn't know the girl's name but I hoped if I took her into the city, someone would have called out to her…"

"Hey…" Soul shifted so he could move a little closer to her. Considering she hadn't moved away from him, he relaxed next to her. "What did you Mom look like? A lot like you?" This caught her attention, and she lifted her head from her knees to look his way. Her eyes were moving back and forth, darting across his face as if she was trying to read him. "What?" He asked. "Was that weird?"

"N-No…" Maka shook her head. "I just—…how did you know that?"

Soul relaxed his shoulders and reached up rub his left one; the memories of the images he saw that morning flooding into his head. He remembered that he had been put under a spell by one woman and the next, the woman with sandy hair and forest colored eyes was saying his name and taking him home. That had to be Maka's Mother. "I'm pretty sure she saved me once." He tugged on a piece of his hair. "Your Mom, I mean. I remember it."

"You were a sacrifice…?" Maka asked quietly. "It had to have been the one ten years ago."

Soul nodded slowly. "Yeah. Pretty sure."

* * *

><p>AHA<p>

plot thickens

yes

this is important it's not random. It becomes an issue later on yeah

also, finally Soul realizes right

FINALLY

xoxoxo


	11. Chapter 11

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 11

* * *

><p>He still couldn't quite remember what happened the night he'd been chosen to be Mabaa's sacrifice ten years ago. Although, Soul was pretty damn sure that's what had happened. The woman who retrieved him from his home was the same one he saw holding Rachel's hand before the ceremony started the night before. It couldn't have been a coincidence; everything added up the more he thought about it. He tried with all his might for the rest of that evening with Maka to figure out what had happened so he could explain to her what he was feeling. She asked questions about it, but Soul could only shake his head and tell her that everything skipped over like a missing piece to a puzzle or a scratch on a record.<p>

She was almost disappointed but eventually, she said it made sense because of what her Mother did all those years ago.

He couldn't get his mind off of what she said and what his memories were telling him. He'd been a sacrifice ten years ago and it was Maka's Mother who rescued him. She went into Death City, found out his name and then she came to rescue him. When his memories began again, the woman Maka called 'Kami' knelt down in front of him and smiled sweetly at him, saying reassuring things when he felt frightened. He remembered that she took him home and he was gathered up in his Mother's arms as soon as he saw her. Then, before Roselin could even say thank you, Kami was gone. They never thought much about it and because he was only a child, it didn't register to him at all. Nothing about it seemed fishy until today.

He rubbed the eraser on the back of his pencil against the paper in front of him until the writing had gone away. Soul was sitting out in the woods the next day working on his writing since he'd found the muse the night before but now that his mind was so dead set on figuring out what happened to him ten years before he completely lost focus on his music all together. He let out a soft sigh and rested his pencil on the small notebook and then leaned back against the tree. He could hear the waterfall in the distance, as if it was beckoning him to come closer and take in Maka's offer to spend time with her.

Soul had been on his way to do the very thing but he thought he'd sit down to get a little scoring down first before he ended up not getting the chance for the rest of the day. However once he settled into the grass and pulled the notebook out under the shade, Soul's mind had wandered off to somewhere he couldn't pull back from. Now his muse was gone and the song was only half written. At least he got _that_ far, he thought to himself. That much was alright.

It wasn't too much of a mystery since he'd plainly figured it out all on his own. Although the fact that it even happened to him of all people seemed surreal. It happened to _him_ of all people…the boy who couldn't kill a Witch even if he had the chance. Was that some sort of coincidence?

_Tap tap tap…_

Something seemed suspicious to him.

Did Mabaa somehow know he would be one to spare a Witch's life in the future? If so, did she try to sacrifice him and many others because of something like that? Wouldn't that mean she actually _wanted_ the war with the humans to be going on? Did she even care about her Witches at all?

"You must be thinking real hard. I don't think you're even breathing."

Maka's sudden voice caused Soul to snap back into reality and drop his pencil. He immediately went to search for that first as he shut the book in front of him and felt around in the grass. "M-My mind's just on a lot of stuff right now." He mumbled once he noticed her peering from around the tree and over his shoulder. He paused for a moment and looked at her as she eyed his book. How long had she been staring at him from over there? Did she come looking for him because he was taking too long? "…I was just about to come by."

"Oh I see."

Suddenly she disappeared from behind the tree and he blinked wonder. He noticed that she had puffed her cheeks out in a familiar way just before she vanished so he leaned over to try and spot her, but was met with nothing but an endless sea of grass and trees. "Ah…Maka?" He called out to her but found no luck with that either. So, with a shrug, Soul sat back again and opened the notebook to continue with what he was doing. She was most likely mad at him ad probably come back in a few minutes once she calmed down a little.

Once he started his writing again, a hum softly passing by his pursed lips, he found it a little easier to come up with the transition he was looking for. Although once he put the pencil down on paper, he felt a presence to his left side this time and looked to see that Maka was yet again peering from around the tree and over his shoulder. Now he understood what she was doing: she was trying to sneak a peek of his composition.

"Hey!" He shut the book, causing her pigtails to jump. "No peeking!"

Before he could a good response out of the girl, she'd disappeared with a loud popping noise and he was left in peace yet again. This time, however, Soul was going to be a little more careful about how he was handling the book. Once he went to start jotting down ideas for the melody, he felt himself hesitate and begin to stare at what he'd gotten down. Again, his mind wandered and as well did his crimson gaze. They drifted to a lone bush sitting a few feet in front of him and he thought about that night all over again. It seemed to plague his thoughts, never to leave him be, but at least this time something managed to bring him out of it before he got too lost in his memories.

A leaf fell into his line of sight and landed on his hand while it held the pencil over the paper. He looked down at it, and then when he heard the branches sway unnaturally, some twigs snap, and more leaves pile on top of him, he looked up and saw that the runaway Witch was climbing up the tree he'd taken shelter under.

Maybe it was about time he went up and hung out with the girl throwing a fit.

Soul shut his book and put it back into his holder at his side. Then after he put the pencil away he turned to start climbing up the tree after her. "Hey cry baby." He teased her once he got in ear shot and pulled himself up onto the branch she'd been sitting on. It seemed sturdy enough for the two of them despite the way it bent toward the Earth, so he managed to swing his legs over and sit a little closer to her than he planned. It was only to keep the branch from snapping though of course.

"I'm not a cry baby." Maka mumbled under her breath.

Soul smirked at her before turning his red gaze toward the view they had before them. Through the branches of the trees, he could see the city standing tall above the forest, and the sun sitting in the sky right beside Shibusen. He whistled in admiration and leaned his hand on the branch beneath him. It sure was a pretty cool sight. He'd seen it at a similar view from the top of the school, but seeing it from a tree out in the middle of nowhere took the cake. It was a lot more real.

"What instrument do you play anyway?" Maka suddenly asked in a low voice, swinging her legs back and forth beneath her. "I'm no good with music or anything so I can't tell the difference between sheet music styles or whatever."

"It's not too different." Soul replied, finding her expression quite amusing.

"So what is it?" She asked.

"Won't tell you."

Maka sat up straight and finally looked at him in the eyes. "What? Really, you won't tell me?" She almost seemed as if she was hurt by the news. He wanted to laugh and make fun of that cute face she was making but he was too worried about keeping his balance on the tree branch when she suddenly smacked him on the back of the shoulder. "You're no fun!"

"You'll have to figure it out yourself I guess." Soul said back to her, making sure he was steady before relaxing again. Then he looked up at her and gave a smug smile. "Hey tell you what; if you can guess the instrument correctly then I'll play what I've got written down for you right then and there."

"You will?" Maka asked, a smidge of hope reflecting in her forest eyes. Soul hesitated but gave a confirming nod. The second he did, her face lit up and she began firing away with a grin on her face. "Guitar? Trombone? Drums?" Now he was regretting making the offer in the first place.

"Hey, hey, only one at a time!" Soul swung his hands up, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Only one guess a day. That's what makes the game interesting."

"Arg! Soul that's not fun at all!"

As the girl pulled on her pig tails, Soul could only let out a small content chuckle. Once he got to know her, she really did act like a regular girl. If she walked into Death City and acted like this, dressed in that sweater vest from the night before, then she would easily be seen as a normal girl. That got him thinking about what would happen if he got the chance to take her out to the City and walk around. Hanging out with her in the forest was bound to get boring after a while right…? Certainly she'd want to go in town and have coffee or go to the book store, right?

Then he remembered how she went grocery shopping for s'more stuff before he arrived the day before. She must go out to the City all the time then…not just to burn down parks or scare off children but to have a relaxing cup of coffee at the café and to get snug in the library and read some _human_ written books. Knowing Maka, she was bound to be interested in reading that kind of stuff right? He remembered her mentioning her undying love for literature the night before when they sat around the fire. It was kind of nerdy, but he could vividly picture the Witch sitting at home, wrapped in blankets with her nose deep into a good book. The way he imagined her biting her lip at an intense part brought a smile to his own lips and he couldn't help but think about how cute she really was. He'd begun to forget she was a powerful and deadly Witch as more time went by; a Witch that could control something dark and mysterious like the void too.

Oh yeah… he meant to ask her about that too didn't he? He never got the chance.

"Hey Maka…" Turning his attention back to her, he noticed that she'd begun to pull on one of her pig tails more calmly now. Maybe she was deep in thought too…or maybe it was that nervous jitter he assumed she got. "Can you tell me more about the void?" Her eyes wandered back over to his. "How come it's been only a rumor till now? Are you the only Witch that can manipulate it?"

"You sure are curious aren't you?" Maka returned his question with another one and he knit his eyebrows together. "Yeah, I'm the only one." With her continuation, he found himself sitting up a little more in interest. "I inherited it from my Mama. It's a magic power that's transferred through my family. It's kind of the only reason I've been kept alive too."

"What do you mean?" Soul asked.

She sighed and shook her head. "It's a long story." She then said, her voice now barely audible. "Let's just say that it's the only thing that makes me valuable to Mabaa-Sama." He stared at her for a little while longer as she kept her gaze down at her knees. He wanted to reach out and try to at least comfort her but he was never a person that liked much contact himself so how was he going to do that and not make it awkward for the both of them? Just when he was about to try and at least say something, she sat up straight quickly and threw up her hands above their heads. "But that makes no sense! I am a _wicked_ powerful Witch even without the void! I know all sorts of stuff when it comes to fighting the humans! I even know how to pound the other Witches into dust!" As she screamed that out for the world to know, Soul leaned back in surprise. Although he soon found himself smiling a little when she continued to scream out in frustration.

"_STUPID MABAA_!"

Soul couldn't have said it better himself.

He never thought he would have come to that sort of agreement with a Witch. One of his friends maybe, but never did he think that he would be agreeing along the same thoughts of someone like Maka. "You definitely know how to kick some ass." He mumbled, only to find himself tense a little. Wait hold on…the only times he'd seen Maka even use magic to fight was when she used void. Did she actually know other destructive spells?

"_Hell yeah_ I can kick ass!"

"Even without the void?" Soul asked her, suddenly feeling more curious than ever.

She nodded. "Yep! Even without _magic_!"

"S-Seriously?" He remembered how hard she had hit him with her spell book when he first returned it to her. It was even strong enough to knock Death the Kid out cold. She may have looked frail but just with that evidence, Soul was convinced by that alone that she could beat someone to a pulp with her bare hands. "Holy shit." She smirked at him the second that slipped by his lips, but that smug look on her face disappeared the second he spoke up again. "T-Teach me!"

"W-What?" She leaned away from him.

He only leaned toward her more. "Teach me what you know! I've been getting my ass handed to me in the arena." He held his hands together and stared at her with pleading eyes. It wasn't cool of him at all to be reduced to begging but he had no choice here. This was his golden opportunity—a big beautiful door that could lead him down a less brutal path. "If I'm ever gonna get better, I need practice and sparing with Black*Star is dangerous!" Not to mention, absolutely terrifying. That blue haired boy was inhuman.

"Black*Star?" Maka asked, quirking her right brow. "You've mentioned him before—"

"Never mind him." Soul deadpanned. "Please train me."

Now he was sounding desperate. He was surprised she hadn't burst into laughter yet. Instead, however, She let out a soft sigh and reached up to rub the back of her neck. "Okay…but don't think I'll go easy on you or anything." She was given a wide toothy grin as soon as she approved, and she found herself smiling back. He was a weird guy but even she found that smile of his to be adorable. "We can start tomorrow if you'd like? I don't feel like getting anything started today." She winked. "Hand to hand stuff tomorrow, then maybe I can show you a few tricks with swords."

"Sounds cool." Soul responded, feeling his heart race. The thought of being taught how to sharpen his skills was enough to get the big muscle in his chest to pound, but he tried his best to ignore it. "I'll be here tomorrow around the same time." He pulled out his cell phone, earning a curious stare from the Witch next to him, and he looked at the small digital clock in the top right corner. "I have plans with a friend so I should get going soon…"

"Is it that Black*Star guy you mentioned earlier?" Maka asked him as he put the phone back in his pocket. He looked up at her and gave a reluctant nod. "Oh…is he your best friend?" She smiled curiously. "Humans have best friends too right?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "We aren't _that_ different."

"What's he like?" She seemed to ignore him as she shot out another question. "Do you like spending time with him? What are you guys doing later?"

"Who's the curious one now…?" Soul asked in return. Then he gave her a small shrug and gave her a lopsided smile. "He's an arrogant prick but he's still a really good friend. He talks big but he's able to back himself up." Maka was surprised that someone like Soul would spend time around someone like that. He didn't seem like he'd work well with that Black*Star guy at all. "He's come around to help me out a lot in the past, so despite the fact that he's super annoying…he's actually a pretty cool guy."

"I see…" Maka relaxed her shoulders since she'd felt herself get a little irritated with that Black*Star stranger. "As long as he is a loyal friend…I suppose it's okay."

Soul snorted. "And if he wasn't?" The question threw her off guard for a moment and she found herself stumbling over her words when she tried to answer, but had no luck in finding her voice. "Don't worry Maka. He's one of the most loyal people I know." That was when he began to descend down the tree. But then he paused once he noticed that she had been concerned for him. He looked up at her and noticed her letting out a soft breath, and his eyes widened. Was she actually worried about him because of someone he hung out with?

Because of the distraction, Soul was careless enough to miss a branch and lose his footing completely. It wasn't long until he found himself falling out of the tree and plummeting toward the ground. However, once he closed his eyes and welcomed the pain, everything stopped and it was as if he'd been stuck in suspended animation. He opened his eyes slowly, saw the grass quietly swaying just below him, and then he noticed that he was floating.

"Wh-Whoa—"

"It's a temporary levitation spell." Maka told him, suddenly appearing beside him in the grass. His eyes widened a little at the word 'temporary' and then soon after, he dropped to the ground with a thud. His ears erupted with laughter and he pushed himself up to see that the Witch got a good cackle out of his misfortune. "You should be careful where you're stepping when climbing a tree."

"Oh shut up." Soul spit, getting onto his feet to brush off his pants. She had her legs crossed, but once he was up, she was too and she was folding her hands behind her back. "I'll see you tomorrow." As he turned to walk away, he saw her gave a quick wave before disappearing herself. Once she was gone and out of his sight, he was soon able to hear her voice again as if the breeze was whispering into his ears for her.

"_Can't wait…~"_

* * *

><p>What he was planning on doing with Black*Star that day was get a few baskets in at the courts. They hadn't gone to play basketball in quite a while because they didn't really have a team. Playing with just the two of them was fun, yeah, but eventually getting an elbow to the face wasn't something Soul was looking forward to; especially Black*Star's elbow. The guy was inhuman, and his skin was as tough as stone. One accidental elbow to the musician's face and Soul was normally wobbling into his house with a bloody nose. He was surprised the guy hadn't broken his jaw yet.<p>

"Hey you're late!" Black*Star called out as Soul walked through the gate at the edge of the court. "What's up man! You're never late!" Soul only rolled his eyes as he came closer to his friend. Then, when he stopped nearby and tuned out the rest of the boy's speech, he thought about what he'd told Maka. Yeah he was a pretty annoying and stuck up guy but he still looked out for his friends and despite having that sickening attitude, Soul found him pretty easy to hang out with.

Liz was right… _how the hell did he do it_?

Soul would be surprised the day Black*Star found himself a girlfriend. She'd have to be able to tolerate his egotistical view on things and he was pretty sure the fighting machine before him wouldn't date a girl unless he thought even _she_ was worthy of being bowed down to.

That thought made him laugh out loud, and it caught the other boy's attention quickly.

"Hey what're you laughin' at?" Black*Star had been spinning the ball around. "You still haven't answered me either!" He threw the ball at Soul and it hit him square in the chest. Good thing he'd gotten better reflexes over the past couple days fighting against the Witches. "The great Black*Star asked you a question!"

"Sorry." Soul replied, giving a toothy smile. "I was held back with someone else."

"Who?" Black*Star immediately questioned him and came closer. "Someone pulled your focus off of me and onto them?" His voice sounded as if he'd been betrayed. "Who on this Earth—no—this _universe_ could be so much more _important_ than the great Black*Star of Death City?!"

Soul only shook his head. "Shut up will ya and let's shoot some hoops." He wasn't going to get into this with the blue haired moron. If he did then things would only get complicated and he would risk letting his secret slip by, and knowing Black*Star, it wouldn't even take until the next morning before everyone in town knew it. "She's not important." Oh no. He should have just stopped right when he said shut up.

"She?!" Aqua eyes were burning into crimson as Soul felt a hint of claustrophobia. He was getting way too damn close, so he reached out and pushed the boy away with an irritated grumble. "Who the hell is this 'she' person?" Black*Star asked again. Soul looked away from him and gripped at the sides of the basketball with his hands. "OH, I think the great me just figured it out!" Soul's eyes shot up at him quickly as he saw the other bop his fist into the palm of his other hand. "You're dating someone aren't you?! Dude! Soul if you had a girlfriend you could have just told me! We could've gone out and celebrated or something!"

Soul's cheeks flushed and he threw the ball at his friend with so much strength he wasn't even sorry. He just needed the other to shut up and leave him alone about it. So with the blue haired demon being the one to stumble home with a bloody nose, they had something else to talk about; at least for a short while. Black*Star ended up bringing it into question again when he got home, but he only earned a shallow glare and a cold shoulder as a reply. Oh well. Black*Star was a tough guy…he'd forgive him by tomorrow. Hell, he'd probably forget that it even happened by then.

* * *

><p>I felt generous and decided to give you two chapters today<p>

yay

wohoo

flirting

xoxoxo


	12. Chapter 12

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 12

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><p>The only thing notable about what happened to him throughout Sunday was that he had gotten up, gotten dressed, gone to see Maka without a word to his parents or friends, and he'd been beaten to a bloody pulp. She worked with him all the way from Sunrise to Sunset; teaching him how to evade certain attacks and how to break from a hold. He knew most of what she told him that day, but a good refresher never hurt, and some of the exorcises she made him do (mostly things like push ups, sit ups and pull ups on floating objects) may have been exhausting but by the end of the day, he felt a whole lot stronger than he did when the day began. Though of course he knew just one day of getting his ass handed to him wouldn't give him the strength to defeat Black*Star in a duel, but he was confident he'd be able to fight off a Witch a little easier now. He could probably surprise Death the Kid if he wanted to.<p>

Defeat by the young Shinigami was the inevitable truth, however, no matter how hard Soul worked. He was just simply on another level.

But surprising him with a few new tricks was possible. _Possible_.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

Maka kicked her boot into the dirt below her as Soul bent over the pond and threw it's cool refreshing water up onto his face. "Are you fighting another Witch?" He gave an approving nod just before splashing his face one last time and she looked out toward the waterfall. "I wonder who it'll be…"

"They don't really tell us until we get into the arena." Soul said, standing up straight. He raised an arm to wipe his brow and then looked up toward the sky as well. It had bled into a certain shade of blue, red and orange that he was sure a painter would be jealous of. The sunsets out here looked absolutely beautiful, that was for sure. Maka was lucky that she got to see it every single day. In the City, the sunset looked smoggy and the colors weren't as rich. "Do you want me to give them a message?"

"Nah. Don't risk being caught." Maka shook her head and pulled her arm back to throw a punch into his shoulder. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his body and he reached up to cradle it, but instead of having sympathy for him, she only laughed. "My luck, it'll be a Witch I'm not too fond of anyway. Medusa for example. She's Arachne's little sister but I'd rather talk to the Spider than the Snake."

"Well don't jinx it." Soul mumbled. He found those two names to be familiar. Medusa had been the blonde Witch that attacked him the day Death City was being over thrown by the Witches and Arachne was the Witch within the foundation they ran into just before seeing Mabaa. Arachne's presence was a lot more intimidating than Medusa's was, if he remembered right. Or maybe he just felt that way because when he met the Spider, she was calm and there was no emotion besides content on her porcelain face while Medusa's gaze was filled with a much more blazing emotion. The calmer ones are more terrifying to him than the ones that actually opened up. It gave him a sort of eerie feeling. "Medusa was captured the night you guys attacked the City so it's likely that I'll be going up against her soon."

"If so, good luck." Maka held a thumbs up at him and grinned, but for some reason he wasn't so convinced she had any faith in him at all. "She literally has no blind spots so she's a doozy."

"...S-Seriously?"

Maka's hand fell to her side and the way she scrunched up her nose told him that she was thinking over that statement. "Well…actually she has a tail that's a big weak spot but it's hard to get to. She uses it to balance and evade attacks. She's one of those Witches that play with their victims a little before she kills them." That did not settle well with Soul's nerves. "She's like an actual snake. Just be sure to be the hawk and not the mouse, okay?" She smiled at him again to be reassuring, and this time he was convinced it was genuine. "Don't let her see you afraid."

"That's easier said than done." He gave a weak smile in return before letting out a soft sigh. "Oh well. Stein wouldn't let her kill me so I guess I'll be okay."

"Is that your teacher?" Maka asked.

Soul nodded and then moved away to grab his things over by the fire pit. He managed to set them down earlier that morning before Maka was able to punch him square in the face. That was mostly what he was worried about; damaging his notebook was the last thing he ever wanted to come out of this new found friendship with Maka.

"He knows a lot about fighting them but his method of teaching is insane." He wouldn't admit it to her just yet, but he was a lot more willing to hang out with her and get beat up than do what Stein normally had planned for them. "All he does is lecture us on techniques and then tosses us into the ring. We never really learn anything because we're too damn busy with the Witches he throws at us to even _think_ about what he told us before hand."

Maka followed closely behind as he strode across the cove and over toward the waterfall. "Sounds to me he's just trying to get you to use his techniques in the ring." He stopped walking and gave her an unsure gaze so she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Try doing something he wants you to do. He might give you a better grade in the class."

"Who says I _don't_ have a good grade in the class?"

"You come off as a lazy kind of guy."

"Why you—" Soul held up his fist angrily but soon relaxed once he realized that his muscles were sore and her's were most likely _not_. She'd punch him back and he would immediately regret the decision and find himself face down in the dirt. So, letting out an exasperated sigh, Soul turned slightly to reach into his pocket. "Oh yeah…I forgot about this." Mossy eyes gave him a curious stare as he pulled out an unfamiliar photograph and extended it out. "You asked me the other night to take a picture of my room so you could help me get there faster so…"

"You actually did it?" Maka's lips curled into a smile and she stifled a laugh, but took the photo from him despite the urge to tease him. "I didn't think you'd actually go through with giving me a picture of your _bedroom_." He shot an irritated stare as she scanned the picture with curiosity. All she saw was a bed and a window and through the glass, in the distance she could see the forest that swayed quietly in the midnight breeze. She didn't know it but he just took a quick picture from the doorway and nothing else was caught into the frame.

She began to snicker to herself. "I feel like such a little stalker."

"Get on with it will ya?" Soul reached out and took the other end of the picture between his fingers so she would focus in. He saw her squeeze it and then the vortex of nauseating teleportation came over him and the two of them were standing in the middle of his room in the blink of an eye. He stepped back, hit the edge of his bed and fell down onto the mattress to catch his breath and close his eyes. "Man, I'd probably like walking back every day better than getting that treatment." Last time they did it he thought he was going to be okay but that trip was enough to prove him wrong.

He noticed that she hadn't disappeared quite yet and pulled his head up off the blankets to spot the Witch standing nearby. Her eyes were scanning the papers that were hung up on his wall and he looked as well to follow her line of sight. He knew what was up there but he wanted to see what exactly she'd been examining. It was a photograph of his family pinned up in the middle of a circle of his old scores and a few other pictures taken with his friends. He sat up and watched as her head tilted and she pressed her lips together in thought. Was she trying to figure out who was who?

"Do you…have an older or little brother?"

"Older."

"So that one is you?" She held a finger up and pointed to the figure standing in the picture near his Mother. "You were so cute. How old were you in this picture?"

"Ten." Soul replied, feeling a little embarrassed as her eyes looked over everything else he had up there. "You should probably go before you get caught in here." No one usually just walked into his room when he was home so he knew no one would come in and catch her. He was just beginning to feel red-faced at the feeling her prying eyes gave him. He couldn't really stand the pressure. It was like she was discovering every far corner of his life just by looking at the things he had decorating the plain, boring walls of his bedroom.

"Oh is that Black*Star?" She nudged another picture of Soul and a few other people he used to hang out with. It was taken long before Kid had been kidnapped too so he of course was in the picture alongside the rest of them. The person Maka was pointing at did not have a head of blue hair, but blonde instead. The eye color was similar but the way the person stood and the way they smiled was a lot less boasting than he had described to her. The one she was really looking for stood on the other side of the picture and he was laughing at whoever was holding the camera. He remembered that they were trying to get him to laugh because he'd actually been in a pretty bad mood that day. It was something about losing a basketball match that got to him.

"No, that's Hiro." Soul pushed himself off of his bed and walked over to stand beside her. He then reached out to point to the laughing kid on the right side of the picture. "That's him right there. He has a tattoo of a star on his shoulder."

"How did I not see that?" Maka cursed to herself and crossed her arms. "It just seems obvious now." Then, after she let herself relax, she was looking at the others, her pointer finger tracing over them as if she was being careful not to break them. "There's Kid…but who are the others…?"

"That's Ox, Harvar and Kilik." Soul replied. "I don't hang out with them as much as I used to but we're still friends."

"Friends…"

Her tone of voice sounded forlorn as her eyes narrowed at the photo. In response, Soul could only look at her, unsure of what to do now that he'd realized the poor girl probably didn't have very many friends. Tsubaki, Angela and Mifune were the only ones he'd met and even then she only considered the Witches to be her friends until Soul brought Mifune up. Compared to someone like him, having two friends wasn't all that much; especially in the eyes of a Witch.

"Uh…hey. You have Tsubaki and Angela so…" He figured this was helping, but his paranoia wouldn't allow him to think so unless he added: "Me too. I'm your friend."

Her eyes flickered with a sense of happiness and she stood up straight, suddenly looking a lot better. "Yeah I guess." She then chirped, causing him to quirk an eyebrow at her. She _guessed_? "I guess it's not too bad." She turned away from him to raise her hand and leave but stopped and looked at him from over her shoulder. He was still giving her a quite skeptical look so she faced him fully and smiled a soft smile that would be stuck in his mind for the rest of the night. "You're my friend. Thank you for that."

What caught him more off guard than her words was that she had reached out and wrapped her arms around his own to pull it close and press her cheek against his shoulder. He grew stiff and held in a sharp breath in response, and before he knew it, she was gone and the pressure he felt on his arm went with her. As much as he hated feeling the warming contact at first, once her presence disappeared and he fell back onto his bed, he was already missing the feeling of being important to someone.

* * *

><p>Once Monday morning came around, Soul was ready and out the door even before his older brother was. Because of how exhausted he had been when Maka left, Soul had slept like a rock for the entire night, but he wasn't too excited about the sore feeling he had in his muscles when he woke up. He dashed into the kitchen, grabbed something to eat real quick and avoided his Mother's questioning gaze when she caught him up so early. He felt bad, but he'd been avoiding her a lot those past couple days. He didn't want her growing suspicious of him, but talking to her would only make him nervous and that was what would give him away in the end. He would crack under the pressure too easily, because he had to face the facts: his Mother could convince him to say anything.<p>

He had a test that morning in class and he didn't even study for it. Although, once he realized he'd been hanging around a Witch every single day now, he figured it wouldn't be too much of an issue. He knew a lot for someone who slept in class almost every single day. It was all pretty much common sense anyway. He was actually quite a lot more intelligent than people put him off to be. The only issue was that he didn't have the energy to perform better in class. There really was no point if he could show off his skill in the ring instead of on paper.

However, once the tests were passed out and Soul had his pencil in hand, he felt stuck and the only thing written after the first five minutes was his name; the last glimmer of confidence in his eyes burning away like an extinguished flame. He wasn't stumped on any of the questions, but more around the test as a whole. Everything written on the page in front of him seemed wrong. Nothing seemed to be true. Nothing at all. Soul's eyes darted from question to question and even around the room to see if anyone else was having as much trouble as he was. The questions weren't hard, they were just false. They were untrue and nothing made sense. They might have made more sense to him before he got to know Maka, but now…

Now that he'd gotten to know her, now that he'd met Angela and made a friend out of both of them, everything written on this test was _insulting_.

"U-Uh…Stein." Soul raised his hand and got the Professor's attention from behind his desk.

"What is it, Soul?"

Everyone was looking at him now, besides for Death the Kid who was the only other person in the room with nothing but his name on the paper.

Soul swallowed dryly. "Y-You explain in here that the younger witches are the most ruthless but I would think it's the other way around." His words forced the room to grow tense and Soul squeezed the pencil in his hand. "I mean, the children aren't actually even bad. They're just kids. Their magic power hasn't even developed by then, and even if so, it's very little."

"And how would you know that, Soul?" Stein interrupted as he leaned back in his seat. "I've met quite a few older Witches in my time and I've learned they can be a lot less destructive than the younger Witches." The way his tone hummed in delight, it almost sounded as if he was playing with him. It almost pissed him off.

The musician stood. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean the children are cold blooded killers!"

Stein's brow creased in a threatening way and the amusement in his green eyes faded instantly. "They're Witches. They're _all_ killers." Soul felt his body heat up with anger. What his teacher was saying was all wrong. Maka was not a murderer; she saved Kid and Rachel too. Tsubaki was a sweetheart as well and Angela…Angela was just an innocent girl that had a _human_ protecther. There was no way she was what Stein said she was. "They've killed hundreds of us."

"And we've killed _thousands_ of them!" Soul shot back furiously. "They're only fighting back to protect themselves!"

As the classroom broke out into whispers, Stein pushed himself up onto his feet and tried his very best not to throw something at the student across the way; like a scalpel for example. Instead, he held a hand and gestured to the door. "Step out of the classroom now Mr. Evans. You failed the test."

Soul ground his teeth together and threw his pencil onto the desk. "Fine. I didn't want to take your damn test anyway." He grabbed his notebook and moved around the desk and just as the students around him fell silent again, he walked out into the hall and slammed the door behind him.

He was in a pretty sour mood for the rest of the day. While he waited for class to be dismissed, he sat in the hallway and hissed at any curious students that would walk by. He didn't mean to be such an asshole but the situation just got on his nerves. Now that he was friendly with a Witch, everything he was taught in the school seemed crazy and he felt misinformed. He came to the decision that he would have to just lie to himself and answer everything how Stein wanted him to. There was no telling what Soul would do, however, if Stein ever felt the need to yell at him again.

Later after classes, he was given permission to take part in the arena against, _of course_, the "Class C" Witch named Medusa. Soul let out an agitated groan and silently cursed Maka for jinxing him just as the Witch was revealed to him. He hoped she heard him because she was in for it when he saw her later that evening.

"Do you remember me, little one?" Medusa's voice slithered down his neck just as he managed to get to his sword off the table. His hair stood on end, and the second he felt her press up against his back, he swung the blade around in hopes he'd make contact. However, just as Maka mentioned, her long tail behind her pulled her away from him and she was sitting a few feet away. "You seem to be a lot braver than before."

Soul was about to snap at her—clearly not in the mood—but Black*Star had swung in to 'save the day' or so he hoped. The white haired musician merely sighed as his friend and the snake danced in the middle of the arena. Her body twisted and turned and even jumped over him with every swing of his sword and Soul watched the tail as it seemed to be doing everything for her. Maka had been correct. She was a difficult target as long as she had that tail of her's keeping her away from everyone's attacks.

Kid came up beside Black*Star and swung his legs down underneath the Witch to knock the tail out from under her, and for a moment, Soul thought that she had been beat at her game. However the tail merely swung around and dug into the ground again, cutting through Kid's leg on the way. He cringed and avoided any more conflict with her while Black*Star went on with his assault. Meanwhile, Liz made herself busy patting the young Shinigami on the shoulder once he realized his right pants leg had been torn but the left one was still perfect.

What happened with her tail definitely showed that it was somewhat of a weakness. Soul gripped the handle of the long sword and decided to break into run. If the tail was kicked out from under her, she would just have it replant itself somewhere else to catch her fall. If he were to manage to cut through it, then she wouldn't be able to do that anymore now would she? Then where would she be; on the ground and forced to eat and stop playing with her food.

As Black*Star kept her distracted with his endless combo of swings, Soul ducked down underneath him and did exactly as the reaper off to the side did before him. Instead of his leg, Soul swung the sword around and it managed to do exactly what he planned. Medusa was thrown off guard and she hit the ground once her tail couldn't function properly anymore and as Soul went to stand and throw the sword down at her, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head and stumbled forward.

Black*Star really didn't pay attention at all, did he?

"Black*Star you idiot!" Soul snapped, turning to yell at the one with the chain scythe. "You hit me with the back of your damn weapon! Watch where you're swinging that thing, will you!?"

"Hey it's not my fault I'm too big to notice a little guy like you standing down there." Black*Star merely said, shrugging his shoulders. "You should watch where _you're_ going. I mean, I was busy fighting a Witch here and you decided to steal my thunder. Not cool man."

"No!" Soul shot back. "The fact that you were so focused on attacking her that you hit _me_ instead is worrying!"

Black*Star leaned away from him, relaxing his hands on his hips. "Man! Quit your whining. At least I didn't cut you open or anything."

"Are you sure about that?" Soul sneered. "I could have gotten a concussion."

"_YOU SHOULD BE BLESSED TO GET SO MUCH AS A SCRATCH BY MY BLADE_!"

"_ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS_!?"

At that point, Medusa had gotten up and tried to attack them while they were squabbling, but Kilik, the boy with steel fists, pounded her so hard that she destroyed the far wall of the arena. He eyed the fighting idiots from behind his glasses before looking up at their professor, who at his point was just enjoying the arguing as if it were on TV. Eventually, the older man sighed and moved away from the viewing platform and found his way into the arena to apprehend Medusa before she regained consciousness. He mumbled something about letting them get everything out—especially Soul—before continuing to dismiss the group.

Liz let out a soft laugh as she fanned Kid who was laid out in her lap, knocked out cold by the asymmetrical issue with his pants. Her sister crouched down beside them nearby and had a small giggle fit at the sight of Soul and Black*Star going back and forth about what had happened. "They're such dummies." She laughed before turning to poke Kid's face. "Just like Kiddo. He's such a dummy."

Her older sister nodded in agreement and decided it would be best to sit around and rest for a little while since Kid lost his consciousness. They'd get up and get going once he was ready to get on with his day. If anything, they would just carry him back to the house and put a new pair of pants on him. That would save them a lot of trouble in the end. Either way, Liz wanted to stay and see what happened between the tank and musician at the other end of the arena. They really seemed to be going at it. She was sure they'd be hitting each other at some point.

And then suddenly they were both calm and sighing under their breaths. What did she miss? Did one of them say something that ended the conflict?

"I'm sorry." Soul muttered quietly. "I just haven't been in a good mood since Stein kicked me out of the class."

Black*Star shook his head. "You are forgiven!" He held his hand out and Soul took it. Right before Liz's eyes, they were best friends again. Just like that. She never understood how things worked between the two of them at all. On the other hand, she didn't really understand how Kid or her Sister thought either. Everyone around her confused her but they were all still such great people. Still she couldn't help but ask herself every single time the white and blue hair crashed in a hug just _how the hell did Soul do it_?

She smiled and sat up a little. "Hey, Soul." She held her hand out to get his attention and then gestured him to come over. So the boy waved to the one beside him and then made his way over after setting the sword down on the table. "I wanted to thank you…I never got the chance."

"What?" Soul questioned her as he crouched down on the opposite side of Patty. "What're you talking about?"

"Kid told me you were the one who found him." Liz explained. "He said you found him out in the woods and you took him home. So I wanted to say thanks." She smiled kindly at him and he felt his shoulders rise. He was a little surprised to get this out of her. Why would _she_ be the one thanking him? "Kid was our best friend, you know? He took us in because we had nowhere to go and were living on the streets. We could only attend this school because he spoke to his Father about it before he was kidnapped."

Soul smiled back at her now that he understood and nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He gave Patty a smile as well before getting to his feet. He was kind of glad that Kid told them the lie, but at the same time he probably would have been alright if he told them Maka had actually rescued him. He wasn't ashamed of being friendly with Maka anymore and despite the nervous feeling he got when he thought about people knowing, he felt a little bit at ease with the thought of Liz and Patty being informed of it. Kid didn't care that Soul was friends with Maka, and there was no doubt in his mind that he'd end up convincing the girls that they shouldn't care either. In fact, the Thompson girls would probably want to meet her and befriend her… maybe do girl things together like get their hair done or whatever.

But then again, Liz was kind of a scaredy-cat and even the cutest Witches would probably scare her off.

Soul shook the thoughts from his mind and raised a hand to say his goodbyes. He was going to set off and meet up with Maka again before lunch could come around. Maybe she'd make him something again like she had the day before. During their training, they had taken a break so that she could cook them something to eat. He wouldn't admit it directly to her, but her cooking was fantastic; almost as delicious as his Mother's.

Hopefully today, however, she wouldn't throw a fist into his gut right after they ate. He didn't feel like vomiting again.

* * *

><p>Are they cute yet?<p>

also have i ever mentioned how much i fucking love black*star jfc

xoxoxo


	13. Chapter 13

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>He was surprised to see Mifune standing with Maka by the fire pit when he arrived. There was some sort of case full of swords by his side as well and he almost got cold feet.<p>

What the hell was Maka planning on doing today?

His anger toward her about jinxing him completely disappeared the second the human beside her caught sight of him. Once he did, Maka looked as well and she was smiling at him. Although the smile she gave him wasn't as cheerful and warm as he thought it would be—but more smug and cunning. The expression caused him to swallow nervously as he approached and tried to do something with his hands. In the end, he stuffed them into his pockets like he normally did.

"You remember Mifune…" Maka held her hand up to gesture to the very man as Soul approached. Mifune nodded and Soul nodded back, guessing it was way to say hello. "I asked him to help out with your training. I know how to handle weapons but Mifune's knowledge of the sword surpasses mine, so I thought he'd give you some lessons." She smirked at him as she faced the white haired boy and then held her hands together behind her. "He agreed, so here he is."

Nearby on top of Maka's house, Angela sat and swung her legs over the edge. She looked as if she was about to watch some sort of match. That only made the boy nervous, but at least she thought that there would be some sort of fight here. From where he stood, it almost seemed like this would be a clean and one sided victory.

"Maka will stand in as a Witch in the arena." Mifune set the case full of swords down on the ground and gestured to the complacent Witch standing right beside him. "I want to see how well you do against one before I can begin teaching you." He drew one of the swords from the case beside him and expertly spun it around for the handle to face Soul, who in turn stared at the weapon skeptically. "What is it?"

"I don't use Katanas."

Mifune took the blade back. "Very well." He placed it back where it belonged and then faced Maka. "I'll teach him different styles, but for now could you summon up his blade of choice?"

"You betcha." Maka held up her wand and turned to Soul. "What will it be?"

"Uh…long sword?" He wasn't quite sure what the different names were. "Preferably two handed, I guess? I like the heavy stuff." She smirked at him and exchanged a look with Mifune before mumbling some sort of incantation under her breath. It made him curious as to why she didn't ever use the spell book and yet, she had been so angry when one of the pages ripped. "You don't have to look at the book to do that sort of stuff?"

Maka shook her head as a long sword appeared before her and the end of the blade dug into the Earth below. "I memorized every single spell within the book." She waved her wand around and he felt his jaw slack. Of_ course_ she did. "If a page is torn, memorized or not, the spell cannot be registered by my voice and transferred to the wand. That's why I needed to fix the page with the healing spell. I knew it, but it won't work if the page isn't in the book."

"Interesting…" Soul reached out and took the sword she conjured to pull it from the ground. Then, when he held it up he noticed her eyes flicker and an amused smile play at her thin lips. He gave her a suspicious look in response and then remembered that she'd given Mifune a smug look before conjuring the blade in the first place. What was this all about? "So what now…?"

The Witch held her wand up. "We fight. That's what." The tip of it begin to glow brightly to show off her hostile intentions. "It's good that you get some practice in fighting my type, anyway. I'm sure they'll throw you in the ring with a "Class B" any day now."

"Fighting you was what we did all day yesterday." Soul protested with a sour look.

"But yesterday I didn't use any magic."

Soul's eyes widened and before he could say anything else, that familiar white light of energy had flown passed him and the shock wave that followed nearly knocked him off of his feet. What happened to being strong without the void element? Was that all she was going to use against him?

Just when he thought that to be true, however, the Earth rumbled beneath him and roots from the nearby tree tore out of it's surface and reached for him. He was so bent up on getting away from them that he didn't notice the "Class B" come up to then throw her fist into his chest and knock him back. It wasn't long until the two of them were running around the cove, knocking each other back, shooting out spells and dodging balls of fire and prisons made from water. She threw so much at him and, yes, he was caught plenty of times, but her healing spell here and there made him able to keep on his feet.

She beat him up, healed him, burned his flesh, healed him, nearly suffocated him under water, healed him, and then hit him so hard in the stomach he swore he could have thrown up even after going without lunch.

He was convinced: She was not going easy on him at all.

"You should've used a lighter weapon." Maka called out, moving to kick her steel toed boot into his side. However the second she tried, he finally regained some ground and held the sword up to block it with the flat side. "Hm. Maybe not. A lighter weapon would have snapped in half once I did that."

Soul shot a glare her way and grit his teeth angrily. She was pissing him off, that was for sure. "Because a heavier weapon is sure to slow me down, right?" He moved the sword up and away from himself to push her back. Then he swung down as fast as his arms could manage with such a heavy mass in his hands and hit the Earth at her side. He would never try to hurt her with a sharp weapon, so he did it as a warning. Although it wasn't as much as a warning as he would have wanted. She wasn't intimidated in the least and before he knew it, she was casting another spell.

Instead of a familiar spell, she did something new and never seen before. The second her wand glowed, a bright white ball of light surrounded the sword in his hands, just enough to engulf the entire thing but his hand. Soul stopped moving and he stared at it and in the instant that it was there, it was gone and the blade shattered into pieces. He was more than shocked—he was baffled, confused, lost. What even happened?

"W-What?"

"I can do a lot more than just fire out shock waves with the void." He heard Maka begin to explain as if she could tell what he was thinking. "Void is an element that is completely able of manipulation. It is a world cut off from this one. Within the energy is a place that cannot be communicated with. It's empty. Void." She never went into detail about it when she talked to him the other day so now he felt the need to listen instead of attack her while her guard was down. "I can shape the void into anything and control the strength of the shock followed behind. What I did there with your sword was pretty similar to the other stuff you've seen me do. But except for throwing the void and having the destruction follow…the void within that orb broke down the particles of your blade until it fell apart."

"Damn…" He was simply amazed. He never figured the void was so powerful.

"The void, however, can only destroy inanimate objects." Maka shrugged her shoulders, holding the wand up to push her hat out of her face. "It'd be a little over powered if I were able to do that to a person. The only thing that happens to a person inside the void is that they're disconnected from this world and universe all together. It's kind of boring really…I've gotten myself stuck in there before. It's good to take a short break from a fight but nothing good comes from it."

Soul threw the rest of his sword aside and stared at her. "Witches sound a little over powered to me anyway."

He saw her shoulders rise before she gave him a small smile. "Well that's because we've all adapted over the years." His questioning stare must have gotten through to her because she continued explaining. "All of the humans kept finding new ways around our spells and different ways to kill us. That lightning bug for example." She gestured to him with her right hand, the one he'd burnt all those days ago. "We've all adapted to survive."

He swallowed dryly. "You make it sound as if Witches are wild animals."

"What's the difference?"

Suddenly, Soul felt a cold rush. His eyes widened, lips parted and he held up a hand out to her. He didn't mean…

Her eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "Don't look at me like that. You said it yourself." Maka turned toward him after giving Mifune a quick glance over her shoulder. No-not him—she was looking at Angela because once she spoke again, her voice had been lowered. "I bet you. If you went up to any Witch Hunter in the City and asked them what the difference was between a Witch and a wild animal they would tell you 'nothing'." Her voice sounded coarse, as if she was greatly offended by her own words. He honestly didn't mean to make her feel this way; he felt terrible. "Humans are horrible." Her lips pressed together tightly, her eyes glossing over as if she were about to cry. She held herself back and he noticed the tip of her wand beginning to glow again. "Only a few of them…just a few would tell you 'everything'."

"Maka—"

He was interrupted when she suddenly kicked off the ground and threw herself into his body with dangerous intentions. Soul doubled over before managing to move out of her way and then they were at it again. "I don't get it!" He shouted, reaching for the handle of his broken sword as it sat in the dirt. He grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder but she only deflected it and kicked for his head. He held his arms out, blocked, winced in pain and reached out to grab her shoulder. "Hey look at me!" Her fist was up in a hostile position, ready to thrust into the side of his face but the second he squeezed her shoulder and yelled, she hesitated. "That's not what I was trying to say!"

"Then what?" She yelled back, lips curled in a snarl. "What could you have _possibly_ meant?!"

"I—" His uncertainty was sure to get him killed one day. "I meant…" Oh no. He didn't mean anything. What he said to her just slipped by and he didn't think about it at all. "I…actually…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it."

Her nostrils flared and suddenly that fist of her's was moving again.

Before she could make contact with the side of his face, he moved his head just slightly and lunged forward to strike her instead. He would have to celebrate by himself later for finally being able to land a punch on Maka. Although this was only so she would calm down and heed his words for once. "Hey…" She coughed loudly as her chin rested on his shoulder and he moved his fist from her stomach to bring her close. "Honestly, I can't even see the difference between the two of us. You're just a human with some tricks up your sleeve. Big deal."

Then finally, the tears were flowing and the girl was clinging to him as her knees gave way beneath her.

"Why can't everyone think like you?!"

* * *

><p>After Maka calmed down enough, Soul and Mifune were given time to go up against each other. The "Class B" conjured up another sword for him to use and he went straight into a battle with the swordsman in front of him. It was difficult and the other did manage to slice through his skin a couple times throughout the fight, but Maka had been able to heal him from the sidelines as she watched beside Angela.<p>

He was taught about different types of swords and a few different styles Mifune knew. He was told that a heavy sword would be easier against a slower type of Witch and the lighter swords would be useful against faster Witches. Maka was a good example for a Witch that was in between. Mifune told him that a medium sized sword would have been alright to use against her, but it was still likely that a powerful "Class B" such as herself would shatter it in seconds anyway.

It was God awful training but he made it through without getting himself killed. Soul was exhausted by the end and almost considered diving into the pond nearby to wash off and get relaxed. The only reason why he didn't was because by the time he got down to his boxers, Maka was red-faced, shrieking and throwing his clothes back at him. Oh well. He would just take a shower when he got home later that night. When he would arrive there, everyone would be sleeping so he could get in and get out and into bed to sleep the weariness away.

When the moon towered above their heads, Mifune and Angela left them be and went home to the iguana house on the cliffside. Soul sat by the fire Maka had made to keep them warm when the crisp evening chill blew in. She went inside to make them both some dinner and said she'd return sooner or later so he relaxed against the boulder behind him and waited patiently. He was starved. She hadn't fed him lunch so he was basically deteriorating away against riverbank rock.

She made stew. It was sitting all day, brewing while they fought, and ready to eat by the time they were settled down. He guessed that had been the reason she didn't offer him lunch when he first arrived. He was glad for that anyway because he was pretty sure he would have given the lunch right back after the beating he received.

"Smells good." A small smirk played at his lips as he reached out to take the bowl from her. She stuck out her lip and mumbled a 'thank you' before sitting down next to him and she held the bowl up to blow on it. While she did so, Soul sniffed the aroma that radiated off of the liquid and found himself humming in delight. He hoped it tasted as delicious as it smelled.

"You worked hard today." He heard Maka mumble quietly and he brought his gaze up from the stew to peer over her way curiously. "I bet Mifune had a nice time getting to spar with you. He hasn't had anyone to fight with in quite a while." She blew on her stew a few more times before resting it in her lap. "I haven't known him for very long but he said that he'd been a samurai for nearly his entire life…but he hasn't gotten into a real fight since the day he took Angela in."

"Why did he anyway?"

She smiled and stirred the spoon around in circles. "I guess he just felt bad…he couldn't kill a little girl."

He already heard the story about how they met but it wasn't explained to him what Mifune had been thinking when he came across the young Witch in the first place. He assumed it was the same reason he couldn't kill Maka and in the end he was partly right.

"Oh." Her head perked up as if she'd just remembered something and she leaned over a little to call out to him before he could take his first bite of the soupy stew. "Soul Eater." The name caught him off guard and he dropped the spoon back into the bowl to give her a questioning look. Was she calling him by that name for a reason? Was it to tease him about the scythe that hung up on display at the arena?

"_What_?"

She shook her head. "No not you, sorry." Maka then leaned back and sighed. "I just thought…" A pause. "I thought it'd be good to talk about it now. To talk about Soul Eater."

Was she serious? Was she actually going to tell him?

Soul set the bowl of untouched stew on the ground next to him and sat up straight. She noticed his pleading gaze and laughed softly in response. Cute; that's all she could think of. "Well…" Trailing on with her thoughts, Maka's gaze fell to the fire that flickered in front of them and she pulled her knees up under her chin. "My connection to it is that it belongs to my Mama." He shifted slightly at her words and realized that was why the blade on topic was stitched into her symbol, but things still made no sense to him.

"If it belonged to your Mother then why have we had the scythe for over a hundred years?" Maka started laughing as soon as the question was heard and he squinted his eyes at her. "What? Why're you laughing?"

"Because you are terribly misinformed." Maka replied cheerfully. But then her expression became mellow again and she looked back down at the fire. "My Mama never got to have it, and neither did her Mama…so I guess the better way to put it would be that Soul Eater belongs to my _family_. It was taken away from us about eighty or ninety years ago, not even near over a hundred." She slumped slightly and her legs slid down to lay out on the ground properly. "If Soul Eater still belonged to my family…if the humans hadn't of taken it…then I would have inherited it." Her eyes closed and her voice shook with a sense of loss and emptiness.

"Soul Eater would be _mine_."

Soul's eyes widened and the only audible noise he managed to let out was some sort of croak. Her's? It would be her's? The scythe was a weapon that belonged to the Reaper. For as long as he could remember, the Shinigami and the first of the Witch Hunters had been the ones to bring the scythe into their custody. They said it was forged by the best smiths from across the sea.

Or maybe she was right…maybe they did steal it from the Witches.

Soul Eater didn't belong to them.

Soul Eater belonged to Maka.

"Harp?"

Her voice suddenly sounded so sweet and curious that it almost scared him. He sat ridged and looked at her, now seeing that she was smiling his way and her somber mood had drifted away as easily as the clouds would. "W-What?" His voice shook and he blinked wearily at her. "H-Harp…?"

"Your instrument?" Maka reached up and scratched her cheek with her finger sheepishly. "I thought we were playing a game? If I guessed what instrument you played, then you would show me your song…" Her cheeks reddened and she looked away from him. "So I'm guessing harp. That's my guess of the day."

"Do I really look like that kind of person?" Soul questioned, immediately reaching for his stew. "No, you're wrong. Try again tomorrow."

"Damn."

Despite the defeated laughter spilling passed her thin lips, Soul couldn't bring himself to smile back at her or laugh either. He stared down at the stew, stirred it a little and finally brought the spoon up to his lips.

Ah…The food was delicious just as he expected.

But why did it still taste so bland and bitter to him?

* * *

><p>secrets out!<p>

Soul Eater belongs to Maka uh oh what does this mean

guiltguiltguilt

xoxoxo


	14. Chapter 14

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>He was restless. His mind was distracted and prevented him from sleeping. Soul laid there for hours, staring out into the dark sky as if he were waiting for something. No he wasn't waiting, he was thinking. Everything that happened that long and exhausting day seeped in slowly and finally made a real impact on him. Maka broke down and cried in front of him. She opened up to him and she cried. A "Class B" Witch trusted him <em>that<em> much, and he had the audacity to even _think_ he could ever betray her?

What a joke.

_Tch_.

Soul was so irritated with himself. He was so stupid. He was so wrong and ignorant. _So uncool_.

He found himself staring at Soul Eater the next morning after he showed up to school. His hand relaxed on the glass and slid across it's glossy surface slowly as his red pools were lost within the eye of the scythe. It seemed to be foreign to him now: the red blade that curved behind the glass plane. What was it, really? Why would something like a scythe even belong to Maka's family: a family of Witches?

Why had he been questioning everything so often? It was getting pretty fucking annoying.

He didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Hey Soul." Black*Star approached him from the hallway and stopped a few feet away. Soul saw in the reflection on the glass that he too was peering curiously at the scythe before them. "What's up? Having a staring contest?" The musician didn't reply but that didn't stop the ninja beside him from continuing. "You winning?" Again, no answer. So finally Black*Star shrugged his shoulders and reached out to pat Soul on the back. His shoulder was sore from his training with Maka and Mifune, so the contact caused a bit more than a discomforting feeling to shoot through his body.

"Ah…" His shoulders jumped and he turned to act like he hadn't noticed the guy yet. "Black*Star, hey…"

"You were spacing out pretty hard there, man." The boy uttered before raising a hand to exchange a high five with his best friend. "What's up? Need someone to talk to? I'm feeling generous so I'll lend an ear for now." After having his hand to himself again, Black*Star held it up to his ear and leaned over to listen to anything Soul had to say, but was only met with a soft sigh.

"It's nothing…I was just thinking about Soul Eater."

"Yeah?" Black*Star turned back to the scythe and grinned. "If I got my hands on that scythe, then there's no way the Gods can stop me! HAHAHA!"

"I bet you could get passed them without it, anyway." Soul replied, putting his hands into his pockets. The reason behind his words wasn't to convince the boy he could do it, or to shut him up either, he was just trying to say something to prevent his anger deep down from bubbling up. The thought of Black*Star getting a hold of the weapon ticked him off. Now that he learned that it belonged to Maka, Soul felt that no one could have it but her. No one was allowed to have it while he was around. The mere idea of it made him so angry he couldn't even—

"Hey!"

Again, his thoughts were disrupted.

"We're gonna be late to class, dude. Quit spacing out."

"Sorry."

Soul hurriedly made his way out to into the hall before Black*Star managed to reach out and grab him by the arm. He didn't want to get dragged so he forced himself to walk at the same pace as the other to avoid it. The pace was uncomfortable for him but it was better than having his ass drag on the floor while Black*Star dashed down the hall at inhuman speeds. He'd rather run around or get slammed in the gut by Maka's incredible punch than do that.

It wasn't cool to admit it, but he was definitely convinced that a girl could kick his ass.

It wasn't the fact that she was a Witch that scared him anymore; it was just that God damn muscle strength of her's. How the hell could she look as thin as a toothpick and still knock the wind out of him with one fist? It should have been impossible. Maybe it was just a Witch thing.

Yeah…he'd settle with that: _A Witch thing_.

The discomforted feeling he had because of his sprint down the hall was not worth it much at all. He wasn't able to sit down and relax for a period of class. He wasn't able to lay his head down on the desk and take a nap to cure the tiredness from his eyes. _He wasn't able to relax_. The second they came in through the door, Stein was telling the class that they were on their way to the arena.

Soul groaned in protest, wishing he could just go to his desk instead, but that was when Black*Star finally grabbed hold of him and dragged him back over to where they were just a few minutes before. Not cool at all.

"You may be wondering why I haven't let out the Witch yet…" Stein's voice was low as the students filed into the arena quietly and stood near the table of weaponry. "Today we won't be fighting one." This news produced whispers throughout the small class and even Soul found himself staring at him, dumbfounded. What did _that_ mean? "I want you all to start sparing with each other. So I'll have two people come up and fight a bit. When there's a knock out, I'll start another round. Understood?"

Some nodded, others stared, and the rest exchanged looks among each other.

Why was he doing _this_ all of a sudden?

Soul was just about to raise his hand to ask the professor the very thing, but his name being called out sent nervous chills through his spine. Oh no. He wanted Soul to go up first? But against who? This must have been some sort of punishment. He'd been acting strange, and he'd been late the first couple days of class. It couldn't have been because Stein noticed Soul's skills in combat increase somewhat from his training because he'd been working his ass off over the weekend to get that way and he hadn't shown anything to his peers yet. So it must have been his first excuse—the fact that he'd just pissed the professor off and was being punished for it.

"Okay Soul, I'd like you to go up against Kid."

Oh fuck no. No matter how many times Maka punched him square in the face or threw him into the far reaches of a tree, he was never going to be able to beat Death the Kid in a fist fight. One glance at the young Shinigami gave him cold feet. However, once he noticed Black*Star's disappointed pout, he suddenly felt a whole lot better about getting thrown into the ring with Kid. There was no way in hell he'd win against that monstrous warrior sitting on the wooden table. He would get killed in one strike.

Soul to this very day still wondered that maybe he'd become best friends with a Kishin in disguise.

"No weapons. Let's be fair and clean." Stein waddled over to where the rest of the class stood and he sat down backwards on his chair near the blue haired student on the table. Then he held his clipboard up toward his penciled hand and stared up at the two standing in the middle of the arena. "I'll be taking notes on your improvement since your first Witch these next couple days. I observed your skills and tactics, so I'll be updating your information for the next few days until you start fighting the Witches again. We're running low on them so it'll probably take a while. I want you to go up against someone new, you know what I mean?"

Soul gave the man a dry look. "Uh…yeah I guess."

"Alright. Begin."

"I give my apologies in advanced, Soul."

Wait no he didn't have time to get ready for it! Soul's eyes widened, panic took his body over and the only reason why he was able to dodge Kid's first attack was because of sheer dumb luck. He reached out for the ground with both hands to catch his fall and then he rolled across the ground to try and get back up on his feet. What did he do? This was crazy! Fighting Witches was one thing, but going up against one of his good friends was on a whole different page. Kid didn't seem to be hesitant at all. Maybe it was because he was a serious student and there was no room for failure? That must have been it. This was _Death the Kid_ for crying out loud.

Soul was forced to start fighting back when he noticed that the Shinigami was quickly at his side once he tried to get away. There was no way he was going to get out of this unless he started defending himself. So, he picked himself up, raised his fist and swung it for the other student's jaw, hoping he'd hit hard enough for a knock out. However, Kid wasn't fazed at all by the attack and merely countered it, sending stars flying passed Soul's line of sight. He grumbled under his breath and moved away to prevent a foot being thrown into his face too and their fight was taken over more toward the wall.

He hoped that he could use Kid's strength against him by pressing himself against the wall until the very last second. His head swiftly moved out of the way when another punch was thrown and Kid's fist made contact with the cement wall and Soul was horrified to see that the stone nearly gave way under his knuckles. He stumbled back and watched as the young Shinigami growled in frustration. Instead of turning to continue to hit Soul, however, Kid shifted his body weight, turned and threw his other fist into the wall. Everyone stared in astonishment. He did that because of his symmetrical issues…didn't he?

"Are you okay?" Soul asked, concern drawn in his breath. "You didn't break anything did yo—" Before he could ask, however, Kid was back to his usual self and they were sparing like nothing happened. Soul spun around, reached out and he grabbed the other boy by one of his arms. He then dug his foot into the ground to get a good grip and threw him around into the wall. By the sheer force of his swing, his hand clung to the fabric of Kid's black suit jacket so hard that the stitching on the shoulder came apart and tore to reveal the white dress shirt underneath.

Kid didn't notice it at first, but when he did, he shrieked.

Soul won the match right then and there…and he didn't even mean to. His intentions were just to slam the guy into the wall but by tearing the stitching apart, the symmetrical balance of his suit had been thrown off and Kid knocked _himself_ out. Stein was a little skeptical about it but ended up passing Soul before asking Liz to drag the young reaper out of the arena to repair his suit. His training sure did pay off a little. The musician knew he wouldn't have been able to last that long before all the coaching he got over the weekend. He knew he would have been knocked out cold after that first dead on strike to the jaw. Maybe he'd formed a pain tolerance because of how much Maka hit him.

"Nice job Soul. Maybe I'll have you go up against Black*Star tomorrow."

_Oh fuck no_. Soul shot his gaze over to where Black*Star sat and the loud mouthed boy was jumping up and down in glee. "What—No professor!" He walked over to the green eyed male to get his attention before he managed to call on another couple of students to go up against each other. "You _know_ how strong Black*Star is. You _know_ he will kill me." Stein merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Witches could kill you too." He said. "I've prevented them from doing so all this time. Besides, you've improved a lot. Maybe you'll get lucky."

"Maybe?" Soul repeated it with alarm. "_Maybe_!?"

"Now then, Liz, Ox, step up please. I'd like you two to be next."

"O-Okay!"

Stein completely bypassed Soul's frantic questioning and went on with his lessons like he didn't even exist. Meanwhile, the musician was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as his friends pummeled each other like they were in some sort of competition. Black*Star went up against their friend Kilik and it was obvious who won that match. Just the way the fight was played out made Soul anxious for his fight the next day. He was pretty sure he would get knocked out within three seconds of the fight no matter how much training he decided to put himself through that evening with Maka.

It would take him years to gain enough muscle and, not to mention, enough _balls_ to face that guy one on one and win.

He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to do it, but he would have to manage somehow. He just needed to survive; he didn't need to win. There was no way he'd win so his number one priority for his fight with Black*Star was to _live_. Soul would certainly be able to do that much if he tried hard enough. Although it wouldn't hurt to ask Maka if she would be able to help him learn a few tricks against people like him. She would certainly know how after years of fighting against Witch Hunters…right? Maybe Mifune would know a thing or two.

He remembered that Mifune said a quick way to defeat the enemy is to figure out their weakness. Soul accidentally used that method against Kid, but he knew what it was. He would have probably done something of the sort when he had no other option. However, when it came to the egotistical idiot that wanted to surpass the Gods, there was virtually nothing he could even think of that would bring his mood down. His ego was literally so massive that it was impossible to make him feel terrible about himself or anything else around him. His focus was all about 'me, me and me' and he was never one to let the past or future get the better of him. Finding a weakness to use against him was unimaginable.

There was just no way.

And that was exactly what he said when he later explained to Maka about the situation. She seemed quite confused and the description of Black*Star's personality seemed to disgust her, but she agreed to try to help him. She just told him to wait a moment while she stripped of her heavy garbs and set them down somewhere else. She took her hat off, her coat and then her gloves followed and she placed them neatly on the small boulder that sat by the fire pit. Then she set the spell book on top and spun her wand around in a dance between her fingers.

"Let's see now…" She moved across the ground with light steps and approached an even larger boulder away from the two of them. He watched her carefully, listened to her hum in thought and then stood up straight when she faced him again. "He has incredible strength, right?" He nodded stiffly, wondering just what could be running through her thoughts. "Okay let me get a good grasp on this…" She turned to the rock and spread her feet apart about shoulders width. Her boot dug into the ground as she raised her fist and then to his bewilderment, she stayed put just like that for a very long time.

He leaned over to get a better look of her expression and noticed that her eyes were closed and her breathing had become slow and steady. She was concentrated on something, he could see that for sure, but what it was he didn't know. Then suddenly, she said something too softly for him to hear and finally, her forest green eyes snapped open and her fist thrusted forward to smash into the stone with so much force, he swore he felt the ground shake. Before he knew it, the rough surface of the rock began to crack and it was nearly split in two. Soul stared, his jaw slack with incredulity.

How the hell did she do that?

Maka's shoulders shrugged and she stretched her arms out before turning to face him again. "Is that about how strong he is?" She then asked. "I wanted to make sure before we-…what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"H-Have you been that strong this whole time?"

She burst into laughter. "No, no, no!" Waving her hands around and smiling sheepishly, the "Class B" made her way over to him and held up her wand. "It's magic duh. It's a spell only Witches like myself can do." He remembered that she had whispered something to herself before bashing her fist into the rock and it made sense. It must have been an incantation to summon up the spell to destroy the boulder. "It's a spell that builds up the magic into your strength just long enough to do something like that." She gestured to the stone that was split into two before resting her hands on her hips. "That is about how strong your friend is right? If you want, I can attack you with that strength and—"

"No." Soul gasped, holding his hand up. "That was spot on, but I am _not_ going to put myself through that knowing I'm just going to go through it all over again tomorrow."

"But didn't you want to know how to fight against him?" Maka furrowed her eyebrows irritably. "I'm not losing my hearing am I?"

He shook his head. "No you're not. Sorry." He sighed and slumped down onto the rock that sat by the fire pit. "I'm just scared. Black*Star is my best friend but his monstrous strength and conceited attitude won't allow him to feel any guilt about pummeling me into the ground." He dropped his head into his hands and shook it back and forth. "I'll never be able to win against a guy like him no matter how hard I push myself."

Maka made her presence known by sitting down at his feet and leaning against his legs. "I wouldn't get too worked up about it." He heard her say. "I would just talk to him before the fight and tell him the truth. Let him know you're afraid and he should at least go a little easy on you."

Soul chuckled bitterly. "He would never agree to minimize his performance for the benefit of someone else."

"Not even his best friend?" Maka questioned sadly. He gave a small nod and he heard her sigh softly. "You could always give it a shot. You never know. Friends could surprise you."

Just like how easily she surprised him with every passing day?

He sure hoped so.

"Still…telling him that I'm scared isn't really cool." Soul brought his face away from his hands and smiled lopsidedly down at her. "Cool guys don't get cold feet."

She smiled smugly in response to that. "And again, I guess you aren't as cool as you think you are."

Soul scoffed and sat up straight to avoid that cunning flicker she had in her eyes. "Yeah yeah. Whatever." He'd play her game for now but in the end, he knew he was the coolest guy around. "I guess I should head back since we won't be doing any training today."

"Who said you weren't going to train?" Maka asked, suddenly springing up to her feet. "I'm still going to go through with this little deal of ours. We don't have to use the strength spell or anything, but some hand to hand practice to help you survive a little longer in the ring should be in order, don't you think?" He stared at her for a moment and before he knew it she was spinning at the heel to run inside. "I'll make us something to eat, then we can get started."

"Wh—No!" Soul jumped to his feet and she turned back to face him again with bewilderment in her viridescent eyes. "If I eat, I'm pretty sure I'll just throw it back up if you end up hitting me too hard." A second passed after he said this and he thought that maybe she didn't hear him. However, once it set in, she began to laugh and he could feel himself redden. "_What_?"

"Nothing! You just have such a weak stomach!" Maka cackled and shook as his face turned bright in embarrassment. She really knew how to push his buttons, didn't she? "Okay fine, I'll wait until after I beat you up to make some food."

"How about we wait until after _I_ beat _you_ up?"

Maka smirked at him. "Sounds like a challenge."

A challenge he was sure to lose. No matter how much the two of them fought, the most damage he'd ever actually done to her was throw a fist into her stomach, and that had only been because he wanted to calm her down so that she could heed to his words. He'd grown much too fond of her—that was for sure—and let's just face the facts: a cool guy never hit a lady. It just wasn't right; even if she _was_ a powerful Witch.

"Oh uh… What about a clarinet?"

Soul gave a soft chuckle. "No. Try again tomorrow."

"Damn it!"

* * *

><p>Action scenes aren't really my strong point but I need all this practice because of everything that'll go down at the end of the story aaaahhhhhh<p>

okay ye

hope you enjoy the story!

next up is the fight with Black*Star w00T

xoxoxo


	15. Chapter 15

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>Today was the day.<p>

He and Black*Star were going up against each other, head to head, fists to fists, and strength to, well—weakness.

He couldn't forget about it. His Mother wouldn't let him forget about it either. She knew what was going on since she had apparently begun to call Professor Stein to get an update since Soul himself never talked to her anymore. Before he could walk out the door, she grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him into the dining room to have breakfast. She would not allow him to step out the door without something to eat since he'd been doing exactly that every single day for the past week. She was clearly upset with him, and had thrown down his plate full of crisp bacon, sunny sided eggs and his glass of milk right beside it. She sat down at the other end of the table with her own plate, crossed her arms and pouted.

Yeah, she was very much indeed unhappy.

"Are you going to eat, Mom?" Soul questioned, not daring to pick up his fork until the rest of his family walked in with their own breakfast. However, they never came and it was just him and Roselin sitting at the long dining table in uncomfortable silence. He swore he could have heard a pin drop. "This looks…uh…pretty tasty so I wouldn't want you to miss out—"

"Where have you been going after classes?" She interrupted him and his shoulders jumped. "I understand that you're trying to compose a score but you can do that in the confines of your bedroom. We even have a room for you to play it. So why do you keep running off somewhere far off and unknown to me and then come back late at night with bruises and cuts, I don't understand."

"These wounds are from school." Soul lied, tapping his finger against the table's glossy surface. "You don't have to worry about it. It's normal…Wes used to come home beat up all the time before he advanced."

"But Wes didn't disappear every single night to God knows where…" His Mother added before resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "I'm just worried about you Soul. You've been so distant and secluded. You haven't been joining us for breakfast or dinner and you haven't said a word to me in days. I'm only concerned."

Soul frowned deeply and slouched in his chair. He poked at the eggs with his fork and let out a soft breath in defeat. "Okay…You got me." With these words, he seemed to bring out a bit of curiosity in her expression. "I've been going to train myself out in the woods by myself to get better at fighting the Witches." He made sure to stress the fact that he'd been going out there alone so she wouldn't go snooping around for answers from someone else. "I'm sure Stein's mentioned my improvement…since you've been talking to him and all…"

He saw her relax and give a sigh of relief. What on Earth was she expecting him to tell her? "I suppose that's not as worrying as I thought it would be." She then mumbled. "But Soul you could always ask your Brother to give you some extra lessons or even spar with you to polish your skills. You don't have to go out there alone." Not even a second passed between her words before her eyebrows were knit together. "Wait, how do you even train yourself when you're alone? I don't understand."

"Some crazy stuff Black*Star told me about. I've been doing a lot of exercises to get stronger. That's about it. I may have fallen down a hill or two after tripping over a rock or branch so that's probably where some of the cuts come from." He gave his Mother a toothy smile to relax her nerves. "Don't worry though. I'm doing okay. I just needed to get strong enough to kick Black*Star's ass—" She gave a sharp glare. "—_butt_, sorry."

Relaxing her posture again, the matriarch of their family reached for her silverware and finally began to eat her food. She seemed a lot more pleased now that she'd gotten some sort of explanation out of him. He was happy that she didn't question him any further after that. He wasn't sure how long he would be able to keep up with his lies. She would have caught on eventually because frankly, his Mother was not stupid.

So before she could think of anything else to ask him, Soul gobbled up the rest of his food and took his dishes to the kitchen. Then he said goodbye and was out the door as soon as possible. He wouldn't stick around long enough to find out what other questions were churning in the back of her mind and he sure as hell wouldn't wind up running into his Father on his way out the door either. He dashed himself to school at an uncomfortable pace and made himself known by entering the classroom with his hands deep in his pockets and his back hunched over.

It was funny, because his mind had been so concentrating on getting away from his house that he completely forgot that Black*Star was going to crush his skull under his steel toed boot in less than an hour.

How _thrilling_.

Black*Star seemed to remember that fact as well quite clearly since he'd been snickering the entire duration of their walk to the arena and once their names had been called to step out onto the chopping table, he was telling Soul just how lucky he was that he got to go up against him first that day. He didn't have time to stop him in the hall to request that he show at least a little bit of mercy, so his throat felt dry and the palms of his hands were clammy. He was not mentally or physically prepared for this. There was no way in hell the boy standing just ten feet away from him would show any sort of compassion.

He wasn't going to let that totally destroy his confidence, however, and he would at least put up as much fight as he was physically able. He needed to survive. That's all he needed to do when up against someone like Black*Star. He was a monstrous beast that could not be stopped and he was sure that he could battle a kishin with his bare fists and still come out on top. That was just the kind of person he was: an arrogant bastard with so much spirit that it should have been a crime.

"Are you ready to be amazed, Soul?" Black*Star asked.

Soul swallowed noticeably. "Yeah sure." No he was not.

Stein raised his hand to silence the rest of the class, and then finally as Soul's life seemed to flash before his eyes, his hand swung down and Black*Star was given permission to unleash all living hell on the terrified boy across from him.

The first hit crashed against him like a vehicle; shifting his insides to make room for the massive force being pushed through his abdomen. Even the students waiting near the Professor cringed in pain at the sight. Soul's body was flung across the ring and it collided with the far wall as strongly as it would have been if he'd been shot out of a cannon. He spit up blood for the first time since he entered the school and he reached up to hold his stomach in hopes it would cradle the pain. Then he shot his gaze back up to spot where Black*Star would be coming from next and his heart stopped when he was met with nothing.

Where did he go?

"YA-HAAA!"

The sharp pain he felt in his side told him that the boy had kicked him and he was already struggling to pick himself up off the ground. He was breathing in cobble and dust at this point; laid out on the cement floor with his arms limp at his sides. He was a sitting duck, waiting for the blue haired monster to deal the finishing blow. Instead of a boot coming down onto his skull like he feared, however, he only felt a gentle nudge to his arm. That's when he realized, things had become quiet, and everyone could probably hear how loudly his heart was beating.

"Hey, I didn't kill you right?" Came his best friend's voice. It sounded strangely quiet…almost concerned. "Come on man, get up. You're not even fighting back."

Soul finally lifted his arm and pressed his hands down on the ground to begin pushing him up. Once he got up onto his knees, he spit up the blood that had gathered in his mouth and then glanced up at the ninja standing patiently nearby. "You don't get it, Black*Star…" He gave a weak smile that showed off his sharp teeth. "You are on a completely different level." His friend grinned back at him knowingly before reaching out to offer a hand. He took it and he was on his feet again before he knew it. "Thanks…"

"Yep." Black*Star took a step back before turning his head. "I'll give you a free shot if you want. Totally on me, go ahead; I won't punch you for it."

Soul chuckled dryly. "Black*Star… one of us has to get a knock out. I'm definitely not going to get passed that steel plated skin of yours."

"Give it a shot." He replied. "If you can't knock me out, then I'll just knock _you_ out. I'm giving you a chance to try first."

"How generous of you."

Soul lost the match. Although he was determined enough to give the blue haired boy a good beating one day. He just had to become strong enough to do so, and he was sure enough training with Maka would get him closer to that goal as time went on.

He awoke from his slumber about a half an hour after Black*Star's forehead collided with his own. It was a terrible pain that came over him and he was out cold in seconds. So when he awoke, head resting in a familiar lap, he peered up into the deep blue eyes that belonged to his friend Liz. She seemed to gather him and Kid up whenever something like this happened. He was grateful for that but honestly he would have felt a whole lot better waking up on the cold hard ground. Why? Well it seemed like a better punishment for letting himself get terribly humiliated in front of the class then having _this_ comforting treatment.

"Welcome back." He heard Liz say with a sideways smile. "We were beginning to think that he turned your brain into mush with that last hit."

"And no one took me to the dispensary, huh?" Soul muttered. "Cheeky bastard. Said he wouldn't punch me so he hits me with his head instead…" He reached up to place his hand on the ache and sat himself up out of her lap. He then turned to see who had been put into the fight next, but was met with only Stein pacing back and forth in front of the students. He figured he missed out on everything while he was unconscious so he turned his gaze up toward the table to see if Black*Star was sitting where he usually did.

As if he could feel his crimson gaze, the boy turned and grinned at Soul in a flash. "Nice fight man. The great Black*Star is impressed."

Soul smiled cautiously. "You were the one who threw me around like a rag doll."

"Alright class, very well done with your sparing today." Stein finally made himself heard and he turned to face them. "A lot of you still need a lot of work but I'm confident you'll be ready by the time The Exam rolls in." He tapped his pencil against the clipboard. "The reason why I was having you do this was to prepare you for The Exam when you're more advanced. Of course you can still take part in it now if I approve of your skills." He smiled for only a moment before jotting things down on the paper in front of him. "You are all dismissed."

"Exam huh?"

Soul looked to Kid who sat nearby, a newly stitched suit over his shoulders and his face looking pretty red from a possible beating he could have gotten while he was unconscious. Who managed to do that to him while he was gone anyway?

"You know about it?" Soul asked. "I think this is the first time I've heard about it…"

Kid turned to face him. "It's the Exam they put on for hunters to compete in for possession over Soul Eater."

Oh. _That_ Exam. Soul had nearly forgotten. He thought the Professor meant a written exam they would be taking in class; which would add to his puzzlement since he had them fighting each other until they bled to death. It simply made no sense before so now he was a little less confused.

He moved his feet under him so he could get up and stand. "That's already coming up huh?" He leaned on the table to catch himself when he felt his balance falter. Black*Star certainly did not hold back on him at all. Training with Maka would probably have to be put on hold for the evening. He would most likely end up asking her to heal him instead and he knew she would be very unwilling to do so. With how things had developed between them though he was sure a little bit of pleading would do the trick. She seemed to comply to his wishes much easier ever since they'd confirmed with each other that they were indeed friends.

All he was worried about now was The Exam. It was the only thing on his mind after they left the arena to get back to their classes. Oh well...maybe he could get his mind off of it when he joined Maka later in the cove.

Every five years, the students of Shibusen training to be Witch Hunters were able to sign up for a competition called The Exam. It was highly recommended for students who are nineteen years or older but the younger students are accepted as long as their skills are promising. It was just as Stein said. He was the one who supervised the event so he would be the one to determine if someone was eligible or not. Although, fifteen years or younger are ages that are highly unacceptable, no matter how well their skills are.

What happened during 'The Exam' was that ten or fifteen students (depending on how many sign up to participate) get together in a vast controlled arena surrounded by gates so the Witches or students cannot escape. Cameras are set up throughout the vegetated arena so families can watch from the comfort of their homes. Within the arena, one Witch will be let loose at a time and the students are forced to work together to survive. Killing is against the rules, for the only thing allowed are total knock outs. That is, until there is only one student left verses the last two witches. The last round released two Witches, known to be a "Class B" and a "Class C" together, and between matches, if none of the students have been knocked out, then there would be a penalty round where two students are put up against each other. That was why Stein had the students spar against each other these past two days.

The Witches normally would come out in the order they were fought in the beginners' training—though that doesn't mean they should be underestimated. It is very much stressed that they are still highly powerful witches and can still kill a person quite easily. They are permitted only to knock out students and are prevented from eating if they end up killing any students during the competition. So that meant it would be a knock out, knock out battle until the last round where the last standing student would either kill or be killed. The winner of The Exam would be known as the wielder of the scythe Soul Eater for a full five years. Then they would end up giving it back for the winner of the next Exam to have.

But no one has ever won the Exam. Soul remembered the stories he was told. The Witch always won in the end and Soul Eater was left to collect dust in its never ending display.

Soul was thinking about taking part in it…but every time he thought about the final round and its consequences, he grew afraid of it.

But still…The Exam wouldn't be coming around for another month and a half, so he was sure to get in as much training, exercising, and sword practice in within that time. He joined Maka at the cove every single day, week or weekend, after school and after other sorts of activities he would be drug out to do with his friends or family. Mifune joined them in their sparing every other day and taught him how to use other kinds of swords and every single day Maka would try to fit in a quick guess of instrument while other days she would completely forget. She went a whole week without guessing because she'd given up, but eventually started up again.

She would get it eventually, he figured.

But for now, it was endearing to see her cheeks puff out in irritation every time she got it wrong.

"You can't even give me a hint?!"

"Nope. Won't do it."

It was during that hardworking month full of pain, blades, sore muscles and rewarding meals by the fire that Soul realized that his feelings for Maka may have blossomed into something much more than just a curious friendship. And it was then when he realized that he had been totally screwed over by his own feelings and there was no way he would be able to pull himself out of this ditch that he'd already dug himself much too far down into. But what was the point anyway?

He might as well keep digging.

* * *

><p>oops look what I did<p>

he's fallen and he can't get up

xoxoxo

(PS: I love Black*Star to death)


	16. Chapter 16

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 16

* * *

><p>A month went by and Soul's strength had definitely showed a lot of improvement. He hadn't changed much, but he was able to hold up a heavy sword in one hand without struggling with the urge to drop it or not. He was able to defeat Maka in a wrestling match within the last couple weeks as well and even though she wouldn't admit to it, he was finally able to deflect a sword out of her grasp with his own after all his training with Mifune. He was definitely conditioned into a—at least slightly—better warrior, but it was the fact that his confidence within himself was still low that slowed him down.<p>

His weakness against killing Witches used to get the better of him in the arena but these days he'd found it much easier to knock them out without injuring them. Stein was quite pleased with his progress, but it wasn't as noticeable as how fast Black*Star could clear the ring with his bare hands. His Mother exchanged a few words with him here and there throughout the month as well to keep herself updated with his progress. He complied to explaining everything to her just so she wouldn't begin to grow suspicious of his constant disappearing to go spend time with a certain "Class B" Witch in the woods.

He and Maka did a lot together now—they were basically glued at the hip. They didn't just train until the sun set behind the distant mountains, they went to the Witch foundation to hang out with Tsubaki too and he always ended up sitting with her at a table while she stuffed her nose into a thick book. He encountered Witches of all kinds while they were there, and Maka was always telling them that she had picked up the habit of hoarding humans in some sort of collection and he was her shiny brand new addition. The thought irked him, but at least she only said it to keep her peers from growing doubtful of her decisions.

There came nights when he tried to ask if she wanted to go into the City instead of dragging him out to the Witch Headquarters. That way, he wouldn't have had to say she was a prisoner or a slave to anyone, because she would be able to blend in with the citizens around them almost too easily. However, every time he would try to ask her, he got weak knees and chickened out.

To him, asking her out to the City felt like asking her out on a date. Albeit, it wasn't anything like that; he just didn't want to feel like a possession of her's anymore. He liked the feeling he got when she asked him to hang out with her like normal friends would, however it was a disappointment whenever she'd end up dragging him around, telling other Witches that he was just her slave.

In the end, he was glad that he at least didn't get to see Mabaa anymore. It was probably a dangerous idea to come into the Grand Witch's line of sight and Maka knew that. He'd been seen by her two times in the past and if he were to be spotted again then there was no way she'd let the situation blow over. She would investigate, and eventually she would find out, and then kill him, then Maka too. He was not ready to let someone like her get killed for some stupid mistake he made. She'd become much too important to him over the weeks and was somehow able to slip by his protective shield and into his heart without even trying. He was so far down into his ditch now that it was impossible to pull himself up. There was no use trying—he would only fall back down when she would offer a smile his way or hand him a heartwarming bowl of stew. So, he found that it would be easier if he just sat at the bottom and waited for her to fall down and join him. It didn't matter how long it would take…

Soul was a pretty patient guy.

He was surprised to see that she wasn't wearing her usual Witch garb when he came to the cove on that crisp Saturday morning. She stepped out from her house with her pale yellow sweater vest and plaid skirt and her hair up in pigtails like usual, only now there were no ribbons keeping her hair in place. Her feet were covered in black and white combat boots that made her ankles look fat, but that honestly didn't bug him very much at all. Actually the thing that bugged him the most was that her skirt was dangerously short. He felt his face redden when she ended up turning quickly to run back inside—mentioning that she'd forgotten to put her wand away—because the second she twirled around, the red fabrics lifted up just enough for him to see just a hint of what she wore underneath.

He'd seen her wear that outfit only once before and it was the day she had him meet Angela and Mifune. She wore it to go to the City without causing a riot by walking into a store in a Witch hat. He wondered just why she had to put such a thing on if they were just going to do the usual thing, and his curiosity worsened when he realized that she had gone back inside to '_put her wand away_'.

Did this mean she wanted to go to the City?.

Soul was about to ask her when she stepped out of the house again but her voice breaking the silence between them stopped him. "First things first—My guess today would have to be the drums." She closed the door and crossed over to where he stood before resting her bare hands on her hips. He sighed and shook his head and the Witch in front of him scrunched her nose in defeat. "Damn it."

"I don't think you're even trying at this point."

"I am, I am."

Soul chuckled and shook his head before examining her body once more. It wasn't on purpose but he'd been finding himself looking at her every so often to spot out the different curves she came with (there wasn't much to look at, but he couldn't bring himself to be displeased about it). He didn't want it to seem so obvious but there were times when he couldn't help it. This outfit was fresh and painfully revealing of those long elegant legs of her's. Damn it, he'd been reduced to a thirsty beast with eyes of a wolf that stared at its prey with a lustful gaze.

There was no doubt that he'd get a Maka-Chop straight down the middle of his skull if she ever caught him staring at her with such hungry eyes.

"I have a request." Maka's voice brought his scarlet pools up and away from her legs and he saw that she wasn't looking at him. Thank God. If she'd been looking at him, then she would have noticed that he'd just checked her out and he knew he wouldn't have survived _that_ mess. "I want to see Soul Eater."

"Y-You do?" Soul was taken aback. "Like…You want to go into town and _see_ Soul Eater?"

Maka nodded her head. "Yeah." Then she leaned away and made a face that told him she was thinking about a way to convince him. In the end she merely gave him a pleading look and smiled helplessly. "Please? I put my wand and spell book away so I won't attract any unwanted attention."

"I wasn't going to say no." Soul muttered. "But, don't you normally bring your wand anyway? When you go shopping?"

Maka shook her head. "That's different. I only do that in case I was to get caught so I could fight my way out."

"Yeah but you could get caught with me." Soul added flatly. "Then what?"

"I should be okay as long as I'm with you, right?"

Why did she have to say things like that? Soul's cheeks heated as her question slipped through his ears and he had to turn around to avoid her eyes. Her _God damn_ eyes were what got to him the most whenever she would look up at him pleadingly. Her _G__od damn_ smile too managed to melt his cold heart from the very beginning and her _God damn_ headstrong attitude pissed him off so much and yet she still managed to sway him easily. Why did things end up like this? _How_ did things end up like this?

"Y-Yeah come on."

On their way there, he noticed that Maka had been walking only a few steps behind him with her arms swaying at her sides gleefully. Her steps were light despite those heavy boots weighing down on her feet, and her eyes were wandering around in hopes she would spot out an animal or two. She awed at the sight of his house from the outside when they broke out of the forest and he tugged her away just in case one of his parents were to peer out a window and spot her. There was no way he'd be getting off the hook if he was seen with a girl, let alone a Witch that he was sure his parents would recognize immediately. So he avoided the big Evans manor and came out onto the street where the front pathway started.

No one was around these parts of town this early in the morning, but he knew once they walked a little more toward the school towering above their heads, the crowd would thicken. "This way…" He tugged on her hand to lead her away from his house and further down the street. Then when he was sure she wouldn't end up turning around to bolt back to look at it, he let go of her and went to stuff his pocket like usual. However once he let go, her hand was quickly snatching him up again and she had begun to walk a lot closer to him now.

The way Maka walked and looked around was a lot different from when they were in the forest. Now her footsteps were heavy and her eyes were darting back and forth nervously and instead of being a few feet behind him, she was pressed against him with her hand clinging to his. Her eyes normally told him everything that was on her mind but he didn't need to peer into the mossy pools of her's to get a sense of what she was feeling. He knew exactly what was bothering her.

She'd walked into a City known for murdering Witches even if they were completely unarmed. She was attached to him out of fear and was completely relying on him at this point. He swallowed dryly at the sudden responsibility and tried to keep his gaze forward so that they wouldn't draw too much attention from the people walking by them on the street.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Soul mumbled for her to hear. "If you act like you're afraid of everyone, _that's_ when people will get suspicious."

"I-I know that." Maka replied quietly. "I can't help it though."

Soul stopped walking and felt her push up against him when he did so. He then pried his hand away from her's so he could turn around and set it down on her shoulder. "You're with me, remember?" He grinned down at her when her eyes suddenly snapped up to his. "What's there to be afraid of?"

Her smile returned and he felt relief come over him. Man she was so stubborn sometimes. He had to remind her of something she once told him herself. What was he going to do with her?

He took his hand away from her shoulder and turned around to continue leading her up to the school that looked down on the rest of the city. Instead of pressing herself into him like she had before, she managed to walk at the same pace as him right at his side. The only thing that didn't change, however, was that she managed to take his hand in her's anyway. Maybe it was a certain type of security she secretly needed to keep her chin up, or maybe it was just because she wanted to hold his hand. He wasn't sure, but either way he was content with keeping her fingers between his for just a little while longer.

"SOUL!"

The moment shattered like a broken mirror once Soul realized that a head of electric blue hair was heading toward them at unknown speeds. Soul's hand squeezed Maka's as his eyes widened in alarm and he looked around for some way out of the street and out of sight, but it was too late. Steel toed boots were sliding across the cobble surface below them and a face with haughty eyes and a tremendous smile was invading his comfort zone.

"What's the big idea!?" Black*Star shouted. "You said you were too busy to play basketball but you don't look too busy to me!" His nostrils flared as his blazing aqua eyes burned through the crimson pools Soul owned only inches away. "What a low blow even for a cool guy; lying to his best friend to go on some kinda date! Is this that girl you've been all _gaga_ over the past couple weeks?" As he said this, his eyes flashed over to the girl that stood beside the musician. She jumped in surprise now that he'd finally acknowledged her presence and she found herself questioning many things about what he had just said. If he said he was Soul's best friend, then that meant he was that Black*Star person she heard so much about. Then there was the fact that Soul was drooling over a girl? What was that all about?

"Has he at least _mentioned_ me?" Black*Star turned his attention to her completely and she found herself stepping back and slipping her hand out of Soul's before he could notice. "I mean, the _least_ he could do is say something about me if he's going to ditch me for a _girl_."

"Black*Star stop." Soul reached out and separated the two of them with his arm. "She's just…I—"

"He was showing me around." Maka intervened, putting on an act right before their eyes. "I'm new in town. I don't know my way around so Soul's family asked him to show me around." She reached up and pat said boy on the back of his shoulder. "I barely know him. We just met today. Sorry to keep him from you."

Were all Witches good at acting or was he just imagining things?

The ninja leaned back with his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes at her. "I see." His eyes scanned over her features as if he was trying to read her before looking over to his friend. "Well…" He looked back at her and gave a smug smile. "Don't go falling in love with him then okay, because he's already got his eyes on another piece of somethin' somethin', if you catch my drift…"

"Catch you're what…?" Maka's eyebrows rose to her hairline in astonishment and she quickly looked at Soul who in turn was seething in anger. "Who or _what_ is this 'other piece of somethin' somethin''?" Her question caused the young man to pull his gaze away from the blue haired one and he shook his head quickly.

"He's an idiot, don't listen to him."

"Wait, are you mad at him? I thought you two just met?"

"WE DID."

The way they yelled at him at the same time sounded as if it could have been rehearsed. The two of them were then about to start walking again when Black*Star crossed his arms and snorted.

"Whatever, man. If you're showing her around then I'd like to come along!"

This caused Soul to shake his head even more. "No, no, it's okay I got everything taken care of."

"Nonsense!" Black*Star held his hand up and waved it as if it wasn't even an option. Then he stepped around them and began to lead them up the street. They didn't have much choice anymore because they needed to go that way anyway. Soul let out a soft sigh under his breath as Maka walked beside him quietly. She seemed to be deep in thought but whenever the boy in front of them stopped to point at something that caught his attention, she seemed to smile and take in the sight before being led further down the street. There was so much more around the city they could have walked by, but this was the main road that led straight up to the school so that was their path.

"Here you can get food. You can get food there too. And there. And there. And there." Black*Star pointed to many different restaurants and fast food places as they walked through the food district of their City. It was where most of the restaurants were in town and they were all delicious. However most of the ones the boy pointed out to Maka did not provide very much food at all. Some were juice or smoothie shops, others were ice cream parlors and eventually they came up to the café that sat closest to the school called Deathbucks.

That was when he realized that the day could indeed get worse when he saw Death the Kid sitting at his usual table with a cappuccino sitting out in front of him. Liz and Patty were sitting on the other side of the table, engaged in conversation and for a moment Soul thought they wouldn't notice them as they walked by. Unfortunately for them, however, Black*Star called out to them in greeting because there was no way he would just ignore someone who claimed to be his friend if he saw them in public. There wasn't a chance in the world Black*Star would ever leave a person alone if they admit that they liked being around him even just once. Once you say it, you're stuck with him forever.

Kid looked up as soon as he heard the obnoxious voice and he smiled in reply. That was when Soul's body went numb. The young reaper caught sight of him and Maka as they walked behind the blue haired star and his face lit up to indicate that he recognized both of them.

"Hello Soul! Hello Maka!"

_Fuck_. Black*Star didn't notice that at first, but once Kid was up on his feet and walking over to Maka to greet her, his cerulean eyes were squinted as he was indeed befuddled. "I wasn't sure I was ever going to see your face again." Kid said as he took Maka's hands and bowed his head politely at her. "What brings you into Death Cit—" His voice caught in his throat when he realized that she had been walking with Soul and he stood up straight to look between them. "Oh…are the two of you an item now?"

Soul nearly choked on his own saliva as Maka's face blazed red.

"Wh—no!"

"Um. Black*Star is really confused." Said boy stood nearby with a dry expression. He was trying to fit the pieces together but it just wasn't working out for him. "You guys just met today but Kid knows her…?"

Kid gave Black*Star a questioning gaze and went to explain but Maka spoke up to once again save the situation with her quick thinking and acting skills. "I met Kid last time I came to visit." She said quickly, stepping between the reaper and musician to face the other boy. She touched her hand to her chest and smiled softly at the egotistical warrior and continued. "But I _did_ meet Soul today."

"Wait, but you said you needed to get a tour of the city. Why would you need one if you've been here before?"

Soul's eyes widened slightly when he realized that his best friend was beginning to catch onto Maka's lying. "Well, because I didn't get a good look around last time I was here." She seemed to continue lying quite easily to defend herself. "I imagine you know just how _long_ it's been since I've been here since Kid was gone for a whole two years. It was over three years ago that I came to the City so that's why I've been given a chance to look around now." She turned to Kid and smiled brightly. "I'm so happy you're home safe and sound! I was so worried when I found out that you had been taken away!"

Kid seemed bewildered but managed to catch onto the act. "A-Ah yes. I'm fine now. It's good to be back."

"Oh who's this?" Liz and Patty approached now that they realized their friends had gathered by the Deathbucks gates. Soul's skin crawled once he realized that they were the last pieces to Black*Star's puzzle that he would have been better off leaving under the couch. It would make no sense if Kid knew Maka from two years ago but the girls didn't. This was sure to get them caught.

"Liz, Patty, this is Maka." Kid turned his attention to the sisters standing nearby. "She's an old friend of mine that I was never able to introduce you to." Soul felt his shoulders relax. He was lucky that Kid was willing to play along. "Soul is showing her around town since she just moved here."

"Oh cool!" Patty cooed.

Liz smiled and held her hand out to the other girl in the group. "I'm Liz Thompson. Nice to meet you." Maka echoed her words right back and reached out to take her hand and shake it.

"Maka Albarn."

As their hands parted, Liz offered a smile and set her hands on her hips. "Patty here is my little sister." She gestured to the other girl who in turn shook Maka's hand with gleeful laughter. "It sure is nice to know there's another girl around to hang out with. If you ever want to have a sleepover or something we can totally do it."

"Yes a sleepover, sleepover!" Patty chirped.

"I think it would be fun." Liz continued. "We haven't had one in a while."

Maka's fake expression easily changed into one full of genuine content. Soul too felt himself smile softly when he realized what it meant. She'd been invited to hang out with girls her age, and it wasn't to go somewhere and break rules or get herself killed. It was a sleepover: a regular human sleepover that happened between regular humans girls. From the past couple of weeks spent getting to know the girl standing before him, he learned that it was something she had always wanted to do. He learned that Maka's hatred toward humans was just as real as the character she put on to get passed Black*Star's questions. In fact, her feelings toward the humans were more on the lines of envy and desire.

"Would it be okay if I invited my friend Tsubaki?" Maka asked timidly.

Liz and Patty both nodded to her. "Of course! The more the merrier!"

She may not have admitted it to him, but Soul knew that deep down somewhere, Maka wished she could be human too.

* * *

><p>I was told that the story was becoming dull?<p>

I already had this chapter written out before hand but it does roll along the lines of what they wanted

I hope that it's not boring or anything ahh

this story has taken awhile to get rolling I'm sorry...i was trying to develop their relationship AGH

xoxoxo


	17. Chapter 17

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>It took quite a while, but Soul was able to pull Maka away from the others and start down the street again so they could finally get up to the school. It was open on the weekends for students to come in and talk to their teachers about extra lessons or request to do extra fights with Witches in the ring. So he was able to guide her inside and down the hall without any questions asked. It wasn't suspicious to any of the teachers that walked by them because they looked like two seemingly harmless students that were on their way to go talk to their instructor.<p>

He wondered what would happened if she saw Soul Eater. She probably hadn't ever seen it before since it was taken into the Academy so long ago. Would she even recognize it? On the wall that opened up into the arena, not only did Soul Eater hang in display but there were a couple other weapons hung up to show off to the students that would observe. Soul bit his lip when he realized just how stupid that thought really was. Of course she would know what it looked like. It was the only scythe hung up in there, and the blade was stitched into the fabric of her family seal. Hell would freeze over the day she couldn't recognize the damn thing.

Soul's eyes wandered up from the floor to double check just where he was going and when he saw that their turn off was coming up soon, he glanced over his shoulder to see what she may have been thinking at that point. Her hand was up and pressed against her chest and her eyes were sternly looking in front of her while she followed close by. She looked anxious and nervous as if she were afraid of what would come out of seeing the scythe in person for the first time in her life.

He squeezed her hand gently to reassure her and then turned to approach the double doorway that led to the arena. He used his free hand to open one side and then peered inside to make sure no one was standing in there or fighting a Witch further out into the actual ring itself. He pulled her behind him and entered the hallway that had the weapons on display and he didn't even think to close the door when he felt her fingers slip away from his. He looked over his shoulder and saw her run immediately over to the large display of the scythe that was hung upside down on the side of the wall.

"Soul Eater…we finally meet." He heard her whisper as she knelt down in front of the head of the staff. He began making his way over to stand next to her but stopped when he realized that the crimson colored eye that Soul Eater owned shifted just slightly. Soul told himself that it was just his imagination and continued to watch as her hand reached up and touched the glossy surface of the glass like his had last time he stared at the scythe with such intent. Her fingers caressed the glass slowly as she stared and again, the eye of the scythe moved, and this time he knew it wasn't his imagination. It had actually moved and looked at her as if it was a living thing.

"What the—!"

Maka chuckled as she got back to her feet. "Soul Eater is a weapon that was created by my great, great grandmother." She then began to explain this to him as if she ignored his flabbergasted stare. "It was forged with a great amount of magic that's been passed down throughout my family for generations…so that's why its eye moved. It reacted to me. It knows I'm its owner." She looked up at him and grinned now that he seemed to be a lot less confused. "It's not just a normal scythe though. My great, great grandmother was the first Witch ever to create a broomstick that could be used to kill kishin as well."

"A-A broomstick?" Soul's voice was drowned in perplexity. "It's a broomstick?!"

Maka nodded to confirm his question and she held up her hands above her head. "It's the fastest broomstick in the world!" She then boomed with a voice so loud he was sure someone would have heard her. However, her excitement and his baffled mind was enough to keep him from telling her to shut up. "It's supposed to sound like a fighter jet when it flies! Especially when it's at top speed and it breaks the sound barrier!" She swung her hands in front of her as if she was playing out a jet zooming through the sky and she even made sound effects to go along with it; causing a small smile to twitch at the corner of his lips.

"Wow…that sounds really cool. But how can it even do that if it's a scythe?"

Maka calmed down a little and faced him fully, a hand reaching out to touch the glass again. The eye moved to look her way when she did so but he didn't find it to be very discomforting this time. "I told you. It's forged with magic power. If someone sat on it and imagined wings, then poof, the magic would manifest a pair of wings and the scythe would take them anywhere they desired to be. It can even activate for a human because of all the magic stored up inside it. They just have to concentrate a little harder than a Witch would have to."

_Whoa_. Soul was beyond amazed; he was awestruck. He turned his gaze to his namesake and watched as the eye followed her finger while it traced circles into the glass pane. He learned something new every single day he spent with her, and it wasn't just things he learned to become stronger, but little known facts about her came about as well and he even learned a lot more about Witches. So much so, that he was sure he knew a lot more than any of the teachers at the school at this point.

The fact that the scythe there was actually a broomstick, for instance, was unbelievable. Soul was pretty sure none of the people in the city even knew about that either. _Especially_ that. Yet here they were putting it up for grabs to anyone who could manage to kill a Witch in front of their peers and family members. As long as he could help it, no one deserved to have a weapon they knew virtually nothing about. He was convinced that Stein and the other newer teachers had no idea that it being brought to them over a hundred years ago was a lie. All the more reason to piss him off.

He contemplated grabbing the hammer off of the table in the ring to smash the glass just so she could have it right then and there. However he knew he would get in trouble the second the sound of shattering glass spilled out into the main hallway. The only way he could get his hands on Soul Eater without getting in trouble was if he took part in The Exam and won.

Ah— That's when the thought hit him.

"Hey." His voice pulled her gaze from the scythe behind the glass. Then he lowered his voice in a whisper. "There's a competition that goes on every five years. Students can compete and if they win, they get to own Soul Eater for the next couple years." Her eyebrows knit together and she stared at him as if she was trying to spot out what he was thinking. "I'll take part in it. I'll win. I'll win Soul Eater and give it to you."

She was rendered speechless for a brief moment before stiffly shaking her head at him. "B-But you can only have it for five years right?"

"Then I would say a Witch took it from me."

"You could still get in so much trouble!" Maka gasped, trying to keep her voice low. "A-And I've heard about that Exam from Witches that have escaped from the humans—it's _dangerous_. You would actually have to kill one of them, and you can't—I won't let you!"

"I don't want to kill them." Soul urged her to keep quiet and came closer. "I'll figure something out. I'll tell them about you. They should understand and we could figure something out together. Right? Are there any Witches that we have captive that you know personally? Any of them?"

"J-Jackie and Kim…they're old friends of mine."

"I've gone up against Kim, but not the other one. Not yet." He squeezed her shoulders. "I'll do whatever it takes to get Soul Eater for you, I promise."

She stared at him with an expression full of disbelief. "You…You're actually willing to do that for me?"

He swallowed thickly. "…yes."

The ditch was just getting deeper and deeper.

Silence fell between them and then finally, she sighed out a soft, "Okay", as she stepped away. She her arm and turned to face the weapon for a short moment after that and he noticed how she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I guess I can't stop you." She knew he could be just as stubborn as she could be so it was impossible to come to any agreements if they continued to go back and forth. "But if you hurt Jackie or Kim, I swear Soul I will pummel you into the ground so hard that your grandchildren will have dents in their heads."

Soul let out an unsure laugh and turned to lead her back out into the hall. "Yeah, well…we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." She hesitated to follow him, giving Soul Eater one last glance, and soon they were both on their way out into the hall. However once they stepped out and turned the corner, Soul jerked back to avoid running straight into his Professors chest. "P-Professor Stein!" He shot Maka a quick look, praying that she had never come across the man before in the past. "I—Hi there…Uh, what's up?"

A plume of smoke engulfed his face and the older man that stood before them peered curiously from behind his glasses. He stared down at Soul for only a short moment before looking at Maka, who in turn gave a shy smile in greeting. "I was about to go collect a few things from the Shinigami. I didn't realize you were here, Soul." He gestured to Maka with his clipboard. "Who might this be?"

"Maka Albarn." The girl answered for Soul and stepped a little behind him. The character she put on seemed to be slightly more timid than the one she had when talking to his friends earlier that morning. "I'm new in town. I was thinking about attending classes so Soul was showing me the school…" She peeked over his shoulder and took the fabrics of the back of his jacket in her grasp. "I've heard rumors about Soul Eater so I wanted to see that too."

"I see."

For a split second, something flickered behind Stein's glasses: an emotion Soul wasn't quite able to see but still managed to scare him stiff. For a brief moment—_just a quick flash_—he thought he saw suspicion behind his green gaze. No not quite _suspicion,_ but something else…it was a threatening, cautious and venomous stare that turned Soul's insides around in circles. Why was he looking at them like that?

"...Hey, Soul?"

He didn't notice that Stein left them be and Maka was shaking him to get his attention. His eyes were firmly stuck on the empty space Stein's eyes once were and he swallowed thickly. "Soul?" He heard her say his name quietly from beside him. "What's wrong, why are you shaking?"

He didn't realize he was shaking like a petrified idiot. "I-…I think he heard us." Soul choked. "That look…he…he heard everything. He knows. There's no way he'd—"

"Stop." Maka shook her head and set her hands on her hips. "If he heard, don't you think he would have done something about it?" She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the Professor wasn't lingering about somewhere nearby. "He would have at least tried to capture me or talk to us about it. I'm completely unarmed."

Soul stared at her. "But…" He was about to protest, however, by seeing her shake her head at him again, his lips clamped shut. Okay, he would try to forget about it. She did make sense. If Stein heard their conversation then there was no logical point to leaving them alone. The Professor would have done something. _Right_? He would have stepped into the hall and confronted them about it and that would have been the end of it. Soul would have gotten in trouble, banished from the city and Maka would have been put into captivity for the rest of her life in damnation, awaiting her fate to one day die by the hands of a student at the very school they stood in.

...Right?

Or were his feelings true and Stein was going to be cautious of Soul from now on? Was Stein just going to toy with him and wait until he cracked under the pressure? He couldn't bear the thought; it drove him nuts. Even on their way out of the school and down the large flight of stairs, his hands balled up into fists and relaxed again, over and over until Maka finally reached out and took one of them to hold and squeeze.

"Calm down."

As if he was hit with a wave of water, he stopped moving and felt a rush of cool relief come over him. Then, when his eyes pried open again, he noticed that they were both staring out onto the city that sat before them, basking in the sunlight from above. He felt a lot calmer now, but he was sure it had been because of a spell Maka put on him when she took his hand. It was a rush of magic that went through him; a foreign energy that charged through his body and relaxed his nerves.

Maka was leaning against him, her eyes peering out to the many buildings that were scattered about and her hand was still entwined with his own. What was this feeling? The feeling of ocean waves calmly knocking back his jitters and fear were all gone now, but were replaced with an annoying sense of butterflies filling his gut.

Her pig tails danced in the breeze, her soft lips were pressed together in thought, eyes scanning the world around her carefully, and the plaid skirt she wore drifted with the calm winds and knocked against his leg. He observed these things as he looked down at her, fighting the urge to just pull her to him in some sort of tight embrace. He was falling so fast he was sure he wouldn't be able to catch himself. She drove him crazy—at first because she was irritating and because she acted too nice for her own good, but now, she was running through his dreams and invading his every thought and he couldn't get her out of his mind. Even now, at times like these, he couldn't pry his eyes off of her.

He should have killed her that day he found her sleeping by the waterfall.

Then maybe he wouldn't have begun to like her as much as he did.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Maka's voice poured into his ears like honey. She was walking again, bringing him with her down the stairs for the rest of the way. He was silent, but over the past few weeks, she learned that his silence didn't quite mean anything bad so she continued. "How do sleepovers work? Liz and Patty said they want to have it next weekend but I don't think I'm ready for that sort of thing. I mean…they seem really nice and everything but I don't know how to act normal."

Soul hummed a bit in thought. "It's not that hard. You just can't mention anything having to do with magic."

"That's easier said than done." Maka snorted.

Soul couldn't have said it better himself. He knew it would be difficult for someone like her—a Witch that grew up around magic and spells. "Just be aware of things you say. I trust that you can do it no problem."

He heard an insecure laugh spill from her lips but he couldn't see if she was smiling or not. Then silence fell between them again and the two of them were still on their way down the endless flight of stairs. When they got to the bottom and onto the actual path, her hand slipped away from his and she was just a couple steps ahead of him. She held her hands together behind her back, that familiar tune humming passed her closed lips and into his ears and he found himself smiling a little to himself.

Whatever it was she was humming, he sure loved the sound of it.

"Oh hey!" She suddenly spun around to face him, causing him to jump back in surprise. "You know how to dance right?"

"W-What?" Where the hell did that come from? "Y-Yeah? Why?"

"I was thinking." Yeah, he figured as much. He was just curious as to how her mind went from sleepovers with the girls to _this_. "I remember you talking about how you were raised and all…how you were taught how to play uh—whatever it is you play—and you learned all this proper etiquette and dancing and all that. So I thought about the dancing part and well…I don't know how to dance."

Soul's eyebrows knit together; a vigorously skeptic wrinkle on the bridge of his nose. "You're not going to ask what I think you're going to ask, are you?"

She immediately looked guilty and looked up with pleading viridian eyes. "Just tonight. If I suck then we don't have to do it again." Her cheeks were flushed and he noticed that she began to fiddle her fingers together in front of her like spinning a wheel. Normally he would have immediately said no without another seconds thought. Soul would have shot out a, "No way" ,the instant he took in another breath of air. Although, the second he saw that face, that little nibbling on her bottom lip, and, not to mention, those _God damn_ eyes stuck on his, he had no choice but to agree.

"Okay."

Maka's face lit up and he could have sworn his heart faltered yet again. Right then and there, he was convinced that there was no _possible_ way he would get out of this one without slipping up and doing something stupid.

He just knew it.

* * *

><p>Adjusting his black silk tie, Soul examined himself in the mirror for about the sixth time since putting it on. He felt a dry feeling in his throat from the nerves and then began to pace back and forth in his room, fingers tangling in his combed out hair.<p>

Was he out of his freaking mind?

He was putting on a suit to go and dance with a Witch at two in the morning in the middle of the damn forest.

How the hell was he going to do this? _Why_ the hell was he doing this?

Oh yeah. Feelings.

His stupid, out of control, _uncool_ feelings.

"Jeez…"

Soul let out a sigh and dropped both of his hands back to his sides. He wore the suit his Mother gave him as a gift about a year or so ago. It was for nice events such as parties and fancy dinners or other kinds of things Roselin could think of. Maka didn't tell him to dress this way but he felt like it was necessary for the moment. How it was necessary for the moment, he still wasn't quite sure, but his first instinct told him that when she said 'dress in whatever', she really meant 'please dress to impress'.

His suit was neatly pressed, no wrinkles, black and pinstriped. His tie was just as black as the pitch night and the undershirt of choice was a shocking shade of scarlet his eyes could compete with. He'd only worn it a couple other times to dinners his Mother hosted. He wore a more casual kind of suit to any other kind of event. This only reminded him just how much he liked that damn girl in the forest. He was willing to put on his best suit and tie for her just to risk getting his foot stepped on during a clumsy waltz.

Again…he swore to God he heard her say 'dress to impress'.

Shaking his neatly brushed out hair, Soul turned around and looked through his window calmly. Then, a scowl appeared across his features at the mere thought of exiting that way. He would just ruin the suit if he jumped out the window like he normally did. He would have to ironically act like a normal human being to go see Maka by walking out the front door. Soul turned and walked over to the door with a kind of nervous hesitance in his step. He opened it slowly, poked his head out and looked around to see if there was anyone capable of catching him mid-escape.

The hall was empty…so the coast was clear.

As quiet as he could possibly manage, Soul moved out into the hall and shut his bedroom door with a soft click. As he made his way to the stairs, he kept looking around for anyone that could be wandering in the middle of the night, just in case. He even stopped at the top of the stairs to see if anyone was down in the main hall or moving in the kitchen. As if someone knew of his intentions, the kitchen light was on and he could hear shuffling within. He paused from making the first step down the staircase for the time being as he watched a shadow loom across the floor.

"Shit,"

Soul waited to see if whoever it was would move on to the dining room with their midnight snack, but after an excruciatingly long wait, they seemed like they wouldn't. However the lights shut off and without thinking, he let out his held breath before continuing on down the stairs as fast as a living bullet. The door was just in his reach and he was about to turn the handle to open it, but he sensed a presence, froze in place, and looked over his shoulder.

His Mother, holding a glass of water, stood in the kitchen archway, a questioning look in her tired crimson eyes.

"Soul?" Roselin called out to him in a fatigued voice as he stayed in the same position in front of the door. He only blinked at her; the same colorful curses running through his mind like a broken record. "What are you doing…?" She began walking over to him quietly as he continued to stare. Then finally, Soul's hand dropped from the doorknob and he faced her with a small sheepish smile. Why was it always his mother who caught him when he was doing this sort of stuff? "Are you going somewhere…?"

"Yeah…um…a party." Soul came up with the first excuse that flashed through his mind. In response, Roselin lifted a graceful brow and he found himself smiling a little less. "I-it's for Kid's return…" He then told her; causing her eyes to narrow slightly as she turned her head suspiciously. "Yeah, I know…it's a bit late, but he wasn't satisfied with the plans and it took him forever to actually make a decision and it ended up being pretty early in the morning. You know how that guy is. With his issues and all…"

"A party huh…" Roselin mused quietly; receiving a nod in response from her youngest son. Then, pulling her eyes away from his own matching pair, she looked him up and down to examine the suit he chose to wear. "…You're going in your good suit?" What? Seriously? She was worried about the suit and not the fact that this so called party was at two in the morning? That kind of question wasn't what he expected from her, but at least it was easier to answer than anything else she could have asked. "You could ruin it…"

Alarmed, Soul shook his head and set a hand on the doorknob again. "Don't worry, Mom. It's a _nice_ party, dancing, music…you know, all of that stuff." He made sure she knew these sort of facts to reassure her. He was then just about to leave when he saw something in the corner of his eyes up at the top of the stairs. Though she only kept staring at him with the same concerned expression as before so his attention was drawn back to her. He sighed and took her free hand with his. "It's just a party…" His voice was soft and reassuring. "I won't ruin the suit…I promise."

She took her hand away and held up an accusing finger. "You better not," She then said, pressing that finger against his nose. Soul couldn't help but smile nervously in response as she continued. "That suit is incredibly expensive! I don't want any food or drink spilled on it, you understand me?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"You're going to a party…?"

Soul and Roselin both looked toward the source of the third voice in the room and saw Wes reach the bottom of the stairs with his own eyebrow lifted in curiosity. Crap! Why was all of this happening right _now_? Soul just wanted to slip out, unnoticed at two in the morning—_not_ get ambushed by his entire freaking family!

"Uh, yeah." The younger of the two brothers opened the door with an annoyed reply. "It's for Kid…the Shinigami's Son,"

"Why didn't _I_ hear about it?"

"Because you weren't invited," Soul shot a haughty grin over his shoulder, causing his brother to glare at him. "See you later," He managed to slip outside before anything else was said and found himself letting out a heavy sigh. He waited a few seconds to confirm that he wasn't going to be followed, and when the door never opened, he took a sharp left to circle around the house. He did his best to avoid stepping in anything that would risk getting his shoes too dirty, but that soon became a problem when he crossed the border between his yard and the forest. He was definitely going to get an earful about his shoes…but at least they were easier to clean than his suit was.

Oh well. He didn't care. All he was focused on was getting to Maka; _so_ focused that he didn't even realize there were a pair of eyes carefully watching him disappear into the woods. Real suspicion had finally begun to manifest within the Evans household.

* * *

><p>wow so much in this chapter I could talk about<p>

like Soul Eater is a broomstick

literally Soul is absolutely in love

Roselin is a Q T

Soul and Wes got some issues

oh yeah now someone in the family saw him walk into the forest

oh nO

WHAT

xoxoxoxo

tell me your thoughts  
>(P.S Next chapter is going to be 5,000 words of pure goodness)<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 18

* * *

><p>It was funny that Soul only <em>then<em> understood Kid's pain when he was climbing up the side of a cliff in a suit. No wonder the guy was so paranoid. He was just as worried about his casual suit as Soul was for his nice one. He took two times longer than usual to get over the cliff and over to the other side just because he'd spent extra time making sure his suit didn't tear anywhere or get any stains from the vegetation that made itself at home on the sides of each stone sticking out toward him.

He finally found himself back to ground level and he was brushing off the suit of any dirt or dust that he couldn't spot and made his way over to the fire pit in front of Maka's home. By now, he knew better to think that she was somewhere else or standing him up. He knew she was inside—maybe still getting ready?—so he sat down on the rock near the flickering fire that sat in solitude in the middle of the pit. That too was a sign that she was still in the cove, so unlike he used to, he managed to stay calm and rest his chin in the palm of his hand.

Scarlet eyes closed calmly as another sigh slipped passed his lips. There wasn't much room in the cove to dance, but that was alright. It wasn't like they would be doing anything that required every square inch of the place, including the pond.

The door opened, and he looked up to see that Maka had peered out with an unsure gaze. "Oh, you're here." Her words surprised him as he sat up straight. Normally she knew exactly when he showed up like she could sense his presence. She told him that she had a spell on the perimeter to tell her when someone trespassed, so he always assumed that was why she always met him halfway up the cliff. She must have been distracted…or maybe sleeping. It was two in the morning after all.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Soul mumbled quietly. "My Parents wouldn't let me out of the house. I had to leave when everyone was asleep." Well, he _thought_ they were asleep. Oh well…at least he made it out.

Maka shook her head and stepped out of the house to close the door behind her. "I was awake. I guess my mind is all over the place. I didn't notice you were here until you were sitting right outside my door. That's dangerous." If it had been another human or a hostile witch she could have been in trouble.

He noticed her pause mid step and look him over, and suddenly he felt self-conscious about what he chose to wear. A smile crept onto her lips and he knew that his cheeks were beginning to redden. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to wear that." She commented, letting out a soft laugh. "You clean up quite nicely, I'd say."

Soul cleared his throat. "I can't dance comfortably without a suit on." It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't the reason why he wore it that night. Even if he didn't feel comfortable, if it had been any other person, he still would have come by in his leather jacket and khakis. "You're gonna dance in that?" He gestured to her thick boots and heavy coat and she looked down at herself questioningly.

"Now that you mention it…" Her voice was soft. "I do feel a little underdressed now that you're here." She kicked her boot into the dirt and looked back up at him. "I was actually going to wait and see what you were going to wear first…So then I could think of an outfit that worked with it, you know?" Although she was more interested in dancing in her usual clothing, but it didn't feel right dancing when he had a suit on and she was in…well…_that_.

Soul nervously looked around the cove when he felt her eyes scanning him up and down over and over again. That self-conscious feeling that twisted his gut returned as she approached and set the spell book down on a rock nearby. "There's a spell in the book that can put outfits on me if I imagine one." She explained, standing back. "I can probably think up a dress or something…maybe just lighter clothing." She waved her hand and the book slammed open to flip through the pages by itself. Startled, Soul looked and saw the different spells fly by with colors.

"There's a spell for everything isn't there?"

"Pretty much."

The pages stopped and revealed the strange language Soul wasn't able to understand. There was a small drawing of a girl in a couple different poorly drawn outfits and there were words written out beneath it. "Hm." She read over it, but only skimmed since she'd memorized everything already. "Okay, so I _can_ do dresses. For some reason I thought it only conjured up magic outfits." She chuckled and shut the book with another wave of her hand. Then she stood back and looked down at him. "Do you want to do the honors?"

"W-What?"

She smiled down at him so sweetly he was sure he was melting where he sat. "Well, if there's _one_ thing about you that I got to learn this past month, it's that you have a pretty incredible imagination." He creased his eyebrows at her and she explained further. "I mean…You think a lot. You're always in your head. I've always figured someone that thinks about every little thing would have quite a vivid imagination." Waving her wand, her hat picked itself up off her head and landed on her spell book. "So if you thought up a dress, the picture wouldn't be fuzzy and it would be able to transfer through the magic and onto me. It works like that. I'm not the only one that can make a spell to work. I just have to be the one to cast it."

"That's…weird."

Maka shrugged her shoulders and took that as a 'yes' so she smiled a little more. "Just imagine something you think would look good, I guess." Her mouth slacked a little as if she realized something and then shot him a cold stare. "But I swear to the Gods Soul, if you imagine something that's too revealing or shows off just how 'uncurvy' I am, I will kill you."

Soul held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa calm down there. It's not my fault you have such tiny tits."

Somehow the spell book was in her hands again and she was slamming the spine of it down on his head with incredible power. "SHUT UP!" She then shrieked as he caught himself before falling to the ground completely.

"If you keep hitting me I won't be able to think of anything properly." Soul grumbled as he pushed himself up to his feet. "Jeez. Not cool."

He noticed that she stuck out her tongue before setting her hands on her hips, her wand beginning to glow as one held it tightly. "Okay, close your eyes and imagine something while I start calling out the spell." He rolled his eyes and then closed them tightly as she began to speak in riddles under her breath. He imagined her standing there in front of him in the usual Witch hat and coat as if it was any regular day, but now that his mind was under control of what she was wearing, he started with getting rid of those hideous boots of her's and replaced them with black heels that wouldn't dig too deep into the dirt. Next, he replaced her coat, shorts and shirt with a long black gown with transparent fabric that covered her chest, shoulders and arms. He then replaced the red ribbons in her hair with black ones, and for the hell of it, imagined a black bow at the base of her back to hold it all together nicely.

It sure took his breath away in his head, so when his eyes pried open to find that the image before him hadn't disappeared, he felt cut off from air altogether.

She was in the dress he'd pictured in his head. She was wearing the dress he imagined. Magic was such a dangerous but wonderful thing.

Maka was spinning around, bringing up the ruffled bottom of the dress in a dance all on its own. She seemed to be pleased with his creation. She was smiling genuinely and taking the fabrics to examine it between her gloved fingers. She looked so happy…so lovely…so beautiful. He was stunned and couldn't do anything but stare as she faced him again, curiosity shining in her mossy eyes.

"Where have you seen this?" She asked him. "I've gone down the market before but I don't think I've ever seen this in any of the windows. Is it in the back of one of the fancier stores?" She picked up the dress again and looked down at her shoes. "Or maybe a runway? You've gone to see that kind of thing, haven't you? You said your Mom—"

"It's not for sale." Soul interrupted her with a shaky breath. She looked up at him again, eyebrows raised to her hairline. "It's not on a runway either." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I made it up. That dress doesn't exist anywhere else other than my mind." He noticed her eyes widen a little and he pursed his lips together stubbornly. "I guess you were right about my vivid imagination."

She let go of the fabrics of the dress and came closer to him. "It's almost hard to believe you could completely make something up like this…" He wasn't sure if he should have taken that as a compliment or not but she only laughed at his expression. "Don't worry it's nothing bad. I really like the dress." Her fingers slipped between his in a chaste way of letting him know that she was ready for him to start with his lesson. "Can I keep it?"

Soul blinked down at her, the only emotion showing off to her now being uncertainty. "What do you mean?" His head tilted down at her as he took a few steps back and away from the fire pit to give them a little more room.

"Well, I can make it disappear when I'm done with it." Maka replied. "But I don't want this one to disappear. I'm afraid I won't be able to think of it the same way if I want to put it on again some other time." Her smile became sheepish as she looked up at him. "I really like it. I'd like to hang it up inside so I don't forget what it looks like. Since it's a figment of your imagination, I'm asking for your permission."

Soul visibly blushed this time and he darted his eyes away from her's. "…yeah you can keep it." He could never bring himself to say no to her anymore. Back when they first met he would have been able to say it easily, but these days, he found himself choking on his own voice and instead of disagreeing he'd always agree. Was this what it felt like to be whipped, or was he just too nice of a guy?

Or perhaps his ditch had just gotten so deep he couldn't even see the sun anymore.

When silence fell between them and he awkwardly set his hand on her hip, he watched her eyes wander and her cheeks redden. Yeah it was a lot more intimate than they were used to but this was what happened when a couple danced. He would have taught her something that didn't require so much contact, but he was only good at ballroom dance, and the basics were easy to learn. Someone with two left feet like Maka would definitely find the basics to be a little challenging so that was why it was the perfect kind of dance to teach. They didn't even start and she _already_ stepped on his foot for crying out loud.

"Sorry…"

"It's cool."

Maka gave a sheepish look. "We're not going to dance to any music?"

"No? I couldn't just roll my record player out here or anything." His eyes shot over her shoulder and he looked at her spell book as it sat underneath her hat on the rock. "You wouldn't happen to have a spell in there that would bring something like that out would you?"

She shook her head. "That's one thing I don't have." He sighed heavily and she spoke up again. "Oh well. I think dancing without music is kind of romantic anyway." He squeezed her hand slightly as she said this.

"You read too many romance novels."

"Bite me."

"Be careful of what you ask for, Maka." He grinned and showed off those sharp teeth of his, causing her face to light up with surprise. However, she then began to laugh lightly at his humor and he stood up straight again to start with his little lesson. "It's not that hard to dance without music. Just imagine a beat. Count to it." With one hand on her hip and the other holding her's delicately, he took a step back and pulled her forward. "Just follow my steps and you should be fine. Count in your head and step to it. One and two and three and four—" With each count, Soul made a move to the side and brought her with him. He managed to avoid getting stomped on again, but he wasn't so lucky later on after they'd been doing basic swaying for a few minutes. "Every song has a count…just at a different pace."

"Was that how you learned?" Maka asked him, looking down at their feet to calculate where he would go next. "It doesn't seem too difficult."

"No…" Soul stepped further back and moved to get them going in circles. She seemed a little startled at first but managed to catch up with the right count. "Some dances are harder to get down, but if you just wanna' free style you have to think about the way the song makes you feel and kinda just go with your gut."

She looked back up at him. "Go with my gut huh?" After he gave her a small nod, he noticed a smile creep onto her lips. "Unless you're performing choreography for a competition, right? You have to plan out a big incredible dance. I've heard about that sort of stuff before from stories my Mama told me." At his interested expression she continued. "Mama told me she went and saw those kinds of performances. She would attend parties with dancing too. The humans were convinced she was one of them…that she wasn't a witch. That's how she met my Papa. He thought she was a human and fell in love with her, and even though he would flirt with other women, my Mama really liked him."

Soul found himself coming to a stop as she told him that story. She seemed to be smiling but her eyes were hiding sadness behind them. He didn't get the chance to ask her what happened to her parents because she had changed the subject quickly. "A spin." She demanded it as she rocked on her heels. "I want to spin. That's pretty easy isn't it?"

His head tilted slightly but he soon caught on when she stepped away from him and tried to do it by herself. She took her hand away from his arm, and spun under the other before losing her balance when he didn't turn with her. "Ah—" He reached out and caught her other hand to keep her from falling face first into the pond. "Right. I understand, okay, let's do that again, this time I'll move with you."

They danced for about an hour or two. Well, they _tried_ to dance for about an hour or two. Maka struggled no matter how much direction he gave her. She was so bad at it, it should have been a crime. With the pace she was learning how to follow a beat and keep up with his leading, he figured it would take her a couple of nights for her to get it down without stepping on his foot every five minutes.

When they were finished, Maka certainly felt a lot better about her dancing skills, but Soul could only whine and complain about how much his foot hurt. She seemed to find his pain amusing—proving just how much of a Witch she really was—but she was nice enough to put a little healing magic out to make his foot feel a little better. The fire hadn't died out yet so he decided to stay a little while longer to relax and take a breather. Two hours in silence, dancing and cursing and getting heels jabbed between his toes sure knocked the wind right out of him. At this point, he honestly didn't care if he got dirt all over his slacks. He just wanted to relax.

"Good work!" Maka chirped, handing him a glass of water from inside her house. She sat herself down on the very rock he was leaned up against, black fabrics of her gown engulfing his right shoulder. "I think that went smoothly! I didn't suck too bad, maybe we can do this again sometime!"

"Let's give my foot a break before that though." Soul mumbled under his breath as he held the glass of water in his lap. She made it sound like they just trained or something. It certainly felt like training but it definitely wasn't. "I don't think I can take another heel for the next couple weeks."

"Aw, that's way too long."

"Suck it up."

He flinched when he saw her hand rise but when no strike to the head came, he relaxed again and looked up at her. She was staring at the fire, the raised hand pulling at the black ribbons that tied her hair up. She wasn't pulling them loose, just examining the fabric's texture between her fingers. The look hidden beneath the forest of her eyes was familiar and he immediately recognized it as the look he'd seen when she spoke of her parents earlier.

"Hey, your Parents…" He started with a quiet voice as to not startle her out of her thoughts. "I meant to ask earlier…"

"About what happened to them?" She finished his sentence for him and after letting out a shaky breath, she slid down into the dirt next to him. They were close enough for their shoulders to touch and the bottom of the dress lifted up into a mound of silk and frill around her legs. It reminded him of a bubble. "When my Papa found out Mama was a witch, he wasn't angry… he fell even more in love with her because with magic came beauty—or so he said. You know…He actually stopped flirting with other women for a while; she was surprised. He even accepted her bond and they ran away from Death City together and tried to turn her into a human."

Oh, that sounded familiar.

"You can turn a Witch into a human?" Soul questioned that first. "How's that even possible."

"It's a long process." Maka replied, reaching up to brush her fingers through her bangs. "It starts out with a bond and kind of goes from there…"

There it was. That's what sounded familiar. "Bond." Soul mused in thought to remember where he heard that word before. It was at least a month ago, during a fight with one of the Witches. "I've heard that before." Her attention was on him now instead of her hair and her eyes were widened for some reason.

"You…You've heard about it? From where? That isn't something they teach at the school is it?"

Soul shook his head. "No they've never mentioned it in class before." He wondered why, and he wondered even more so when Maka seemed a bit relieved about it. "I heard it from a Witch while in the arena. It was that cat one, Blair, the one I met in the library at the foundation that time we went to rescue Kid." Her stare hardened. "She was all over me…mentioned something about giving up her bond for me or something like that."

"Are you serious?" Maka seemed amused all of a sudden and she bit back a laugh. "That dumb cat! She didn't manage to kiss you did she?"

"H-How did you know she was trying to kiss me?"

"Because that's the only way a bond can be sealed between a Witch and a human."

The look she gave him after that caused his skin to crawl. The expression she wore in her gaze wasn't filled with annoyance or anger at his question, but instead she seemed to be telling him this fact with a hint of…well…something he couldn't read. It looked like that expression Liz wore when she would stir Kid's coffee for him—that same look his Mother gave his Father…that look his Brother Wes wore when he would day dream about a lady crush he had. What was that? Admiration…_love_? _Was_ it love? It couldn't be.

"…H-How….does the bond and turning a witch human stuff connect anyway?" He avoided her gaze, stared at the flames in front of him and clasped his clammy hands together. He rubbed them and tried to breath at a steady pace to slow his heart from pounding straight out of his chest.

"A bond kind of speaks for itself." Maka didn't seem to notice—or maybe pretend not to notice—the way he was acting and she turned her gaze to the flame as well. "It's a string tied between a human and a Witch. It keeps them connected. They can hear each other's thoughts, feel each other's pain, and when one is afraid or sad, the other can feel that too. They can even share magic power. It's really intimate…a Witch's greatest weakness…that's why I was afraid that it was being taught in your school." He was quiet, but gave a nod to show that he understood. "To turn a Witch into a human, she must make a bond…and then she and her human lover must both make great sacrifices to be judged by the Gods. If their feelings are true enough…her magic power will be taken away and she will be granted a normal life with her partner, free of connections to Mabaa or any other Witch."

"So that's what your parents did?"

Maka shook her head. "They tried, but were never able to change her." Her shoulders slumped and her lip stuck out in a pout. "Papa caught onto a habit of infidelity after they had me and that caused their bond to break. Then, eventually, Mabaa noticed me and found out what Mama had been trying to do. Naturally, she acted on the situation by taking force and attacking my parents. Mabaa doesn't like losing Witches, so whenever something like that happens, she tries to kill them or throw them in jail for a long time. Normally she would murder the child born from a human and Witch too." This caused Soul's body to tense and he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from the fire. "The only reason why Mabaa spared me was because I inherited Mama's void magic. It's important to have such a powerful type of magic under her control. I told you that before too…I'm only valuable to her for the magic I possess."

He wanted to say he was sorry or try to comfort her, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He felt so terrible he couldn't even muster up a word or even a sound in sympathy. Instead, he asked her about what had happened to her parents after Mabaa discovered them, his voice so low Maka was barely able to hear it.

"She should have killed them." Maka said to him, looking down into her lap. "But instead, she decided to separate them by throwing my Mama into jail to live the rest of her live in damnation, and she banished my Papa from ever returning to this place. I can't ever see them. I hate it. I hate Mabaa." She looked to be on the verge of tears, and he wanted to bring her close so terribly that a twisting in his chest began to swell up and make him hurt for her.

Why couldn't he say anything to her?

After sighing, Maka reached out to pick up a small rock and toss it over the fire and into the water. "You know…" His eyes found her's as she stared at the ripples that flowed when the stone broke it's surface. She still seemed saddened by her story, but her voice was still strong. She was trying her best to keep herself from crying. "If I had ended up being born as a normal Witch, without the Void…Mabaa would have killed me without hesitation." Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought and she bit down on her bottom lip. As she did so, Soul gave a deep frown. This night had gone from being pretty cool to depressing with just a simple question. "I'm not all that important to her anyway. Mabaa will wait as long as it takes for my Papa and I to fade from existence…then she can let my Mama go and continue to use her like she had before…as a weapon." She finally let out a choked sob that made Soul jump up in alert. "Let's just face it…I'm just a bad luck charm to all that I love and care about."

He'd never heard such nonsense come out of her mouth before.

"Don't say that," Soul finally found his voice and shifted his body to face her after setting the glass of water down. She didn't even bat an eye lid, however, and she didn't show any signs of acknowledging him. "You aren't a bad luck charm! If you were, something bad would have happened to _me _at some point right?" With that said, Maka finally opened her eyes and shot him a questionable look. "Look! I'm fine! Mabaa hasn't caught us yet. We're totally fine." He did his best in smiling her way reassuringly. He wasn't good at this sort of stuff but he would try his best to help her cheer up. He felt guilty for being the one to put her in this mood in the first place. "I'm important to you right?" He asked her. "Bad things happen to people that are important to you, right?" Her eyes began to water and he noticed her bottom lip begin to quiver. "But I'm fine." Her fight against the tears didn't work and they began to spill down her cheeks like the waterfall that sat behind them. "I _am_ important to you right?" He was answered with more silence. "_Right_?"

"Yes," Maka finally let her voice be heard and her eyes fell to the ground. "Yes, yes you are, but…" She sniffed at the air and reached up to rub her gloved hand against her cheeks. "But, I'm scared…I'm _so_ scared…" He found that hard to believe after getting to know her that past month. She was a brave and rebellious person…it was rare to see her frightened like this. "If Mabaa found out that you were still alive, let alone, _important _to me…the same thing that happened to my parents could happen to us, and I know for a fact she wouldn't keep you alive like she did my Papa. Not this time." Her hand dropped back into her lap and she avoided looking to see his reaction. If she looked, then she would have seen the anger built up in his scarlet eyes—the rage he'd harbored within himself toward Mabaa. "You know…she'd probably kill us both since she hates me so much."

"Can you stop being so pessimistic!?" Soul professed, finally letting out that anger that came with his scowl.

Maka brought her head up and snapped a glare in his direction. "Excuse me?!"

"You're acting like it's going to be the end of the world!" Soul replied. "Quit assuming the worst and realize that I'm here with you and as long as I'm here, that fucking Witch won't lay a single finger on you." He took his right hand to his chest and looked at her with determination instead of fury, and he gave a haughty grin. "That bitch won't see me coming."

"You don't get it." Maka said to him, shaking her head. "Mabaa isn't just some other Witch you can swing a sword at and hope to knock her out. She's dangerous…she can _kill_ you."

"You think I don't know that already?" Soul asked her. "Maka cut me some slack here; I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I know what I'm getting myself into." His grin had grown incredibly now, causing her eyes to widen in astonishment. "If she's going to touch you, she's going to have to get through me, and I'll be willing to die for you any day."

Her cheeks were blazing, and she sucked in a quick breath. "Y-You—" Then, she turned away to hide that expression he wore from her sight and held up a hand to her face. "You're such an idiot why would you say stuff like that?!" She then yelled, almost at the top of her lungs. "_You're so stupid_!"

"I'm not that much of an idiot." Soul's smile toned down a little but he still found the edge of his lips curved up in a small lopsided smile. "I have to agree with you though…I _was_ at least dumb enough to fall for a Witch like you."

"Wha—" As she brought her head up in response to his words, she felt a tugging at her pigtail and winced. He had reached out and pulled on the closest one to him to get her to turn and face him again, and to her surprise, the distance that had been left between them for so many days and so many excruciatingly long weeks had been closed and his lips were crashing against her's just as her heart faltered in its beat and began pounding in her chest stronger than it ever had before.

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><p>THERE'S SO MUCH WE CAN TALK ABOUT BUT WHAT<p>

xoxoxo


	19. Chapter 19

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 19

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><p>Soul was very much content with what had happened between the two of them the night before. Things were unclear to him, but he knew that whatever it was that happened, it wasn't a bad thing. She didn't smack him or hit him with her spell book when he pulled away, but merely laughed in his face when he tried to be cool about it and tell her to shut up. He wracked his mind to figure out what on Earth she'd been laughing about but it soon hit him what he had done and he'd nearly gone nuts.<p>

_- "Shut up, will ya? Just for a second?"_

_Soul's voice was a whisper and his dark eyes stared into her's once they fluttered open to meet his gaze. He noticed her blink once, then twice and then to disrupt their moment, she snorted out loud. Jumping back, Soul leaned away from her as Maka erupted into a fit of gut bursting laughter with her fingers pressed to her lips. _

_"W-What?" He asked in a pitched voice that had a flustered shake. "W-Why are you laughing?"_

_She continued to laugh at him a little while longer before looking him over with delighted eyes. "It's just that…you're stuck with me now." His eyes widened and her cheerful smile cut through her flushed cheeks. "Nice going!"_

_"W-What?" Soul repeated himself like a broken record. He didn't understand. What did she mean by _stuck_? "Oh." That's when he realized. He remembered the talk they had just a few minutes before, about how her parents met and how they became _bonded_. Maka explained to him that a bond between a Witch and a Human started with a kiss. A kiss. He just kissed her. Soul just kissed Maka. "Oh…" He brought his hands up to the sides of his head as she seemed to start laughing all over again. "I…I totally forgot." He choked pathetically. "I didn't mean to… Maka I'm sorry—"_

_"What for?"_

_"—Well , I mean—"_

_Maka interrupted him more hearty laughter before shaking her head. "Okay, Okay relax. I was kidding." He gave her a dry stare, full of disbelief and she shrugged her shoulders. "It was kind of funny seeing you react like that. Sorry."_

_"S-So…the bond thing…isn't real?"_

_"No it's real." Maka replied, waving her hand beneath her chin. "The bond can only be sealed if the _Witch_ initiates the kiss, though. That way she isn't stuck with the next Human that decides to steal a kiss." She flashed him a small but coy smile before looking down at the fabrics around her legs. "It's designed that way because when a Witch exchanges a kiss, she is forming the magical bond with all of her love and trust. She's basically giving her heart away for the human to hold and protect. It's extremely vulnerable…and very easy to take advantage of."_

_"I see…" He relaxed where he sat and leaned against the rock again. Somewhere inside, he felt a little disappointed that they hadn't become bonded. It sounded cheesy and uncool but he was willing to be stuck with her if it meant that it was a chance to turn her human. Hell, he felt obligated to do so. He wanted to do that for her. He wanted to form a bond and he wanted her to be with him without the fear of Mabaa breathing down her neck. He looked up at her and saw that she was touching her bottom lip, and her eyes had an uncertain gaze as she stared at the fire. She hadn't hit him yet…so that was a good sign._

_"Was that the first time a guy's tried to kiss you?" He couldn't help asking as a tiny grin twitched into existence. _

_Her pink face darkened and she looked away so that he wouldn't see her expression. _

_"…Yes." She said. "I…I feel like my chest is going to explode."-_

What happened after that was that she let out a squeak of a goodnight and a wave goodbye and then he was walking home with his hands in his pockets, mud on his shoes and a smug smile on his face. She left him with unanswered questions but at least she hadn't hit him. That was the only thing that gave him hope for what was to come between them. It was the only thing that drove him to get up the next day and head out to pay her an early Sunday morning visit. It was the only thing that convinced him that maybe—just maybe—she'd gotten herself stuck in this ditch he's dug. It was what gave him the confidence to bark at Black*Star when he came to his front door that morning because 'no he didn't want to hang out with him, he wanted to hang out with Maka'.

_Maka didn't hit him._

"So I was thinking…" Soul kicked a rock into the pond after climbing down into the cove: a ritual that seemed almost too natural to him now. "Maybe…We can do what your parents did and run away and figure stuff out?" He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he approached the fire pit. That was when he realized Maka was not there and he was speaking to the cool morning air instead. He dug his sneaker into the dirt and drew circles, expecting her to come from inside the house any time now.

Before she did however, a booming voice he dreaded to hear in this particular part of the forest shook the trees and traveled passed him with a powerful laugh. "YA-HAAA!" Black*Star, loud, arrogant, and sticking his nose into Soul's business, couldn't keep himself hidden for very much longer. "Wow! This place is pretty neat! It's surprising that a big guy like myself never found it before!"

Soul's body froze over as if he'd been thrown into the Arctic Ocean. Black*Star was here. Black*Star was standing at the top of the waterfall. He was looking over the cove with his scanning and curious aquamarine eyes. He was at the cove. He followed Soul. He was standing at the edge of Maka's domain. He was going to find out that Maka was a Witch. He was going to find out that Soul had been affiliated with a Witch. He was going to get them in trouble. _He was going to get Soul killed._

"B-Black*Star!" Soul called out to his friend as he jumped down and landed effortlessly. "N-No! Turn around! Go home!"

Black*Star snorted. "No way. You ditched me for that Maka girl again." He then said, walking over with an irritated step in his pace. "She's not that great. You could at least bring me along or something." He quirked an eyebrow and looked around the campsite as Soul desperately tried to push him away. "Why does she live all the way out here? When she said she moved into town I didn't think she—"

"Go home Black*Star, _please_." Soul pleaded, shooting looks over his shoulder to make sure Maka hadn't come out of the house yet. There was no doubt that she'd sensed that both of them were in her territory and it was only a matter of time before she came out with guns blazing. "_Now_!" He was hissing in the boy's ear now, desperate.

"What? Are you scared that she'll fall in love with me instead of you?" Black*Star laughed, with a cocky grin. Soul's jaw tensed and he balled his hands into fists angrily. "Oh please! You must be stupid if you think I would accept some girl's feelings! Dating and romance is _way_ out of the picture if I have to transcend the Gods one day! There's no time to frolic around with the wenches of this world when I'm going to become even greater than I already am! I've got no time for it!"

"Did he just call me a wench?!"

His heart stopped and he felt his stomach drop into his legs. Maka was outside. She'd just exited from her house and over heard what the blue haired ninja ranted on about. She heard everything and now she was pissed. He turned his attention to her quickly as she began to storm over, wand slipping out from her sleeve and eyes bent with rage. Black*Star noticed the wand and his smile disappeared in an instant as Soul held his hands up in defense. He'd at least try to keep his friend—potential backstabber or not—alive if it meant the chance that he'd forgive him for betraying human kind.

"M-Maka, no don't!" She stomped a heavy boot down and shifted her body to hold her right hand up in a threatening position. The end of her wand began to glow dangerously and it was aimed straight for Soul's friend, who had in turn put on an intimidating sneer. "Stop!" Soul grabbed her wrist and threw it down so whatever spell she would have tried to cast would hit the ground at her feet. "He didn't mean it. Don't start anything. He'll probably kill you."

She shot him a glare. "You're doubting my strength?!"

Soul scowled. "No I'm not. It's just that I'm not stupid and I know Black*Star will kill you the second he gets the chance. Now shut up and put the wand away, God damn it!"

She grumbled under her breath something about being able to kill the other boy easily too and then stubbornly held her hands behind her back. Black*Star stared at them after that, his intimidating expression long since disappeared and replaced with a blankness that worried Soul. He'd never been so quiet and concentrated in his life. He'd never seen him look at anything like that before and it caused the musician to swallow thickly.

"Um…"

"So I see how it is." Black*Star finally spoke and he moved forward to approach the two of them. Soul took a step to his left to block Maka protectively and he watched him nervously. "A Witch huh…?" He set his fingers on his chin and scanned the pig tailed girl up and down. Soul found himself able to relax just a little, but he was sure to keep up his guard in case something was to happen. Black*Star may have seemed calm but that didn't necessarily mean a good thing. In fact, it was a strange occurrence that happened rarely and it should be feared.

Maka watched the young man from over Soul's shoulder with pinched eyebrows before looking up at the white haired male. Then, suddenly, Black*Star stood up straight and his voice was destroying their ear drums yet again. "Okay I get it! She's been a Witch this whole time!" He threw his fist into his other, pure white canines showing off to them as he grinned. "_That's_ why you've been so secretive!" Soul and Maka stared at him, dumbfounded as he came even closer. Although, the white haired male was still the barrier between him and the Witch no matter what. "So are you two, like, dating or something? Come on, spit it out. I've found you out."

"Yes—"

"—No."

Maka and Soul shot each other quick looks, eyes wide. Then, with an unsure crease of their eyebrows, they spoke up again.

"No—"

"—Yes?"

Maka glared at him and he jumped back. "What? I'm confused!" This had been something that was on his mind when he was on his way there earlier that morning. This was what had been unanswered; what had been left out. What was going to happen between them had been a mystery to him and now that it was being questioned the two of them were shooting out two different answers at once. She said yes when he said no and she seemed to get angry at him. So then, he changed it around for the second time around and said yes while she said no, and again, she glared at him. He was befuddled. "What do you want me to say?" He questioned, eyebrows shot up all the way to his hairline.

"Well—" She crossed her arms and didn't speak after that. Seeming to be having the same kind of battle in her head, Maka avoided making eye contact as Black*Star looked between them with an expression that screamed that he too became a little confused with the situation. It wouldn't be long now until he finally tried to make sense of things.

"I'm lost." Black*Star made himself heard as the two of them tried to figure out just where they were and they both looked at him, their bodies still facing each other. He held one of his hands up from his hip questioningly as he continued. "So, _are_ you or are you not dating?"

"Yeah—"

"—Well no?"

Maka stomped on the closest foot of Soul's she could find and it happened to be the one she stepped on plenty of times the night before. His foot shot up from the ground and into his hand as he tried to fight back the urge to scream at her and she rested her fists on her hips. "Well—Soul kissed me last night, so, yeah I figured there would be something going on."

Black*Star's eyes glimmered and a cheeky grin spread across his lips. "Oh ho ho?" He leaned in close to Soul as the young man's cheeks reddened from either his anger or the embarrassment he felt when she mentioned their kiss to his best friend. "Wow Soul…someone as great as I never even expected their best friend to find themselves a lady friend." Soul stepped away from the other boy in annoyance. "What about other stuff? Have you guys gotten naughty yet—"

"_Excuse_ me?" Maka gasped, flabbergasted.

"Why is that the only thing even concerning you?" Soul's voice was frantic as Maka's cheeks began to match the color of his eyes. "It doesn't bother you that she's a _Witch_?"

Leaning back again, Black*Star merely blinked at him and deadpanned his response. "No. Why would I be bothered?"

Soul was speechless as Maka stood up straight in surprise. For being a loud mouthed asshole, he actually didn't seem quite that bad. He didn't care that she was a Witch? That was not the reaction they were planning on getting out of the ninja at all. In fact…it was quite the opposite.

"Why…?" Maka's eyebrows were knit together as she stared at the shorter male of the two. "Because I'm a Witch, that's why."

Black*Star shrugged his shoulders. "Even tough guys like me aren't _that_ dumb." He grinned broadly and rested his hand back on his hips. "I know a good Witch when I see it. Besides, if Soul likes you then I like you too." He eyed Soul and the musician stood up straight. "It wouldn't matter if it's a Kishin, Witch, Werewolf or Mermaid…I swore that if Soul ever crushed on a lady then Black*Star would become his best wingman ever." He was holding a thumbs up now and winking, only causing Soul to return it with a small grin. "Big guys like me don't ever double cross our swears. Once I mean it, I mean it."

"That's right." Soul reached his hand out and Black*Star did so as well to clap them together.

Why was he so worried about Black*Star in the first place…? He always found a way to surprise him during the most inconvenient times.

Maka tilted her head at the rowdy boy and uncrossed her arms. "Well, just because Soul likes me doesn't mean I'm a good Witch." She then said, causing Black*Star to turn his attention to her again. "I still don't really like humans." But then she remembered how she had made friends with Liz and Patty…and even when Kid seemed like he would be a familiar face to smile to in the future, she quickly added "…most of them," before either of them could butt in.

"Well, good thing I'm not a normal human then huh?" A loud laugh followed that statement and it was only the start of a rant that Soul and Maka both decided to tune out. Soul was used to it, and Maka…well, she just didn't want to even try and listen to what he was going on about. Instead of his voice being paid attention to, she realized that Soul had spoken to her and she looked up at the corner of her eyes to let him know that she hadn't quite heard him.

He repeated himself. "…Just because I kissed you, doesn't mean you have to feel obligated to date me or anything."

She stared at him. "I don't feel obligated." Came her reply, and his red pools were drawn to her again. "I _want_ to."

Ah…he better pick himself up and regain his senses so he can catch her before she hits the bottom of the ditch.

She smiled up at him so sweetly he swore he was going to get cavities. "I'm just…thinking a lot about this decision I need to make…" Fingers together in front of her, Maka's smile almost became bitter. "It's kind of a hard thing to decide to do…it's nerve-racking…and I'm still trying to decide if it will all be okay or worth it in the end."

"What will?" Soul asked her. "Dating me?"

She shook her head. "…No, _bonding_ with you."

He was lucky his knees didn't give out beneath him or else he would have fallen face first into the dirt. His heart faltered and he knew his cheeks were filling with blood. She was deciding if she wanted to bond with him or not? Should he have been offended that she was so nervous about it? He wasn't even sure—all he was able to understand was that she liked him and she potentially wanted to bond with him….meaning she wanted to become human…and she wanted him to the do the honors. Well…she was still trying to decide on that matter—but it's the thought that counts right?

"I mean…unless you don't want to bond with me in the first place—"

"No, No! I uh—"

"HEY!" Black*Star leaned forward and looked between them. "Are you guys even listening to me?!"

Soul didn't want to answer the other male because that would require tearing his eyes away from her. It was painful and reluctant, but he managed to do it so he could look at his friend without seeming too annoyed. "No, sorry. It's a force of habit." He then said as an excuse, but Maka, next to him only smirked at the guy.

"Not a habit for me. I concentrated on every noise around me _but_ your voice."

Black*Star scowled at her as she gave a triumphant smile in return. Then soon the two of them were nose to nose and hissing threats at each other. "I'm going to transcend the Gods one day and cut down every Witch that stands in my way." The ninja said at one point. "Soul's girlfriend or not, I'll crush you and wipe that smart ass grin right off of your face if you ever stand between me and my goals."

"Bring it on, short stack."

"I am not short! I am the biggest guy in Death City!"

And there he went on another one of his tangent rants that lasted for at least five minutes or so. Maka leaned back and held her hands together behind her again. That was when she and Soul were both tuning the boy out for a second time.

"You were going somewhere weren't you?"

At Soul's question, Maka nodded slowly and glanced over her shoulder to see that the fire pit was empty of everything but ashes and dust and was cold and lifeless. She knew that had been the reason he figured out she was about to head off somewhere. He learned that by his many visits during the past month.

"Where are you going this time?"

"I was going to go hang out with Tsubaki." She smiled sheepishly. "I haven't paid her visit since that time we went to the library two weeks ago." She kind of wanted to go mostly because she had to tell her best friend about how Soul had kissed her the night before too. The last thing she wanted was for him to come along and hear all of their juicy gossip.

"Who's Tsubaki?"

They both hadn't realized he'd given up on his speech when he saw that they were ignoring him a second time and now he was trying to get their attention a different way. By asking a question, they would have to turn back to him and give him an answer. It was full proof. There was no way they would just ignore it either because Soul learned the hard way what happened when someone ignored Black*Stars question. Let's just say he forgot the very meaning of the word 'why' for a few days because the boy had said it so much.

"She's my friend." Maka told Black*Star easily, not moving away from facing Soul. "She works in a library. She's a Witch too…and also Soul's friend so you can't hurt her either."

"She's a "Class C" Witch." Soul continued for her when he noticed Black*Star's expression morph into interest. "She's actually the one you mentioned in class a while back. One with the element of flowers…Tsubaki can turn into a Camellia."

Aquamarine eyes widened as Maka smiled up at Soul. "She can actually turn into any kind of flower if you're summoning her." She explained that concept to him a couple days back. She'd taken a rose from his Mother's garden and later taken it into the forest to demonstrate how she could bring Tsubaki to her if she ever needed her quickly. She explained that if she whispered the Witch's name to the flower then whatever message that came next would be telepathically transferred to Tsubaki and she would take action by becoming the rose in Maka's hand, scattering petals in the breeze and then putting herself together again. If she split her body into pedals from where she stood and followed the wind all the way from point A to B, _then_ she would be camellia pedals.

"I must meet her." Black*Star suddenly spoke up again and came so close that the two of them ended up taking a step back together in unison. "Do you think you could hook a fella up? I've been dying to find out how a Flower themed Witch worked. I mean, come on, that's not every day when something like that comes around. And because of how big and amazing I am, I gotta see all the little rare things that turn up around me. It's kinda like a King meeting a talented peasant you know?"

"How does that make any sense…?" Soul asked quietly.

But he was ignored and Black*Star's fierce cobalt gaze was boring into the back of her skull through her sockets. Did he really want to meet Tsubaki that badly that he was making up some sort of lie on a whim? Maka was impressed… a little skeptical…but impressed. She sighed under her breath and then held her hands up in defeat.

"Okay. I'll talk to her." Black*Star's eyes lit up and he stepped out of her bubble with a loud and proud laugh. "That doesn't mean I'll actually get her to meet you." Maka then snapped. "I-I'll try to arrange something though. But I have to talk to her first." She looked over at Soul and noticed that he'd given up on trying to understand his friend. Even though she had told him that it was unlikely that Tsubaki would meet him, he was still jumping up and down and bouncing off the cove walls in glee. What was it about Tsubaki that interested him so much?

Instead of worrying about it too much, she turned to face the musician fully and get his attention. "I'll be leaving then." She was tugging on his leather jacket with thin fingers. "Come back later tonight okay?" She smiled up at him when he gave her a grin of his own and she suddenly didn't feel any nerves clouding her system anymore. "I can make some dinner. Don't invite Black*Star."

Soul showed off his teeth. "Wasn't planning on it."

He felt the urge to lean down, gather her in his arms and kiss her goodbye…but the second he even gained enough guts to do so, she was already too far away and was picking up her things to head out and see her best friend. He turned to face her and saw her give a small wave before she snapped her fingers and disappeared from sight. It was around then when Black*Star calmed down enough to stand next to his friend.

A few seconds passed, and then finally, Soul turned to ninja with a threatening snarl.

"If you tell _anyone_ about her, I will fucking kill you."

* * *

><p>jfiroeghuth this chapter is kind of bringing back the HTTYD theme yes<p>

also yay SoMa is finally running smoothly...ish

and TsuStar coming soon?

xoxoxo


	20. Chapter 20

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 20

* * *

><p>One word.<p>

Only one word could describe how her meal tasted later on that night.

Delectable.

She made him something simple because it had gotten late and he was nearly forced to wait until the early hours of the morning again before he could take his leave. He was thankful that he'd been able to squeeze out the door around ten o'clock at night instead of two in the morning. It was because he hadn't gotten the chance to tell her what time he would stop by and he was afraid she'd eat and then fall asleep face down on her bed before he even got there. That was when he realized, it would be the first time he ever stepped foot into her house. That is, if she let him in this time. Normally when he came by and ate with her, she brought the food out to him. He'd never crossed that threshold that led into the tiny house she called home.

It was a sore feeling to know she'd been in his room a few times and he on the other hand hadn't looked to see if she even had a couch.

It was a cute house, but much bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside. It must have been because of her magic power, he assumed when he first stepped inside and noticed how much larger the space seemed than anticipated. To the right of the doorway, she had a small couch facing away from him and directing itself toward a small bookshelf filled to the brim with novels and other sources of literature. He could only think to himself just how much of a nerd she was because of it and snorted to himself at the expression she put on when she noticed just what had crossed his mind. Her kitchen was on the opposite side of the house from the front door, so that was where she trotted on over to when he came inside. There was another doorway, which surprised him, because from the outside, the house looked like it had only one big room, but as he peered through the open space, he saw where her bedroom made itself present and was met with a small bed—possibly able to fit her plus two if they squeezed—and a small table that had a little alarm clock set up on top of a closed book.

She had books lying around everywhere didn't she?

He noticed, inside the bedroom, there was also another door. He assumed that was where the bathroom was, and later on that night he was confirmed of this when he had let her know he needed to piss, and she firmly slapped a hand against the side of his head for being so blunt.

Did he regret being with her? No, not at all.

When he came out of the bathroom, there was a radiant aroma of spices and herbs that attacked his senses and he gave a content reaction. Risotto. That was something his Mother had made as a side dish from time to time to complement their main course. Maka had mentioned it was something simple and easy for her and since it was late, it was perfect; then adding in a smart ass comment about it being bad to eat after eight anyway. He could only scoff at her book smarts and sit himself down on the couch to stare out the small window that dared let the moonlight seep through.

When he first tasted the food she'd handed over to him a few minutes later, he was pretty sure he felt at home. It was a marvelous blend of spices that his Mother couldn't even compare—and yet, just by taking one bite, Soul felt as if he was sitting at the table with his Family during a late Fall evening, enjoying a meal together and laughing at something Wes had said about his classes at the Academy. But when Soul opened his eyes again and looked up, instead of his brother sitting beside him at the table, Maka was sitting against him on the couch and contently eating away at her own meal as if it was the most normal thing to her.

Soul fought the urge to smile like an idiot before stuffing his face with the rest of the rice she managed to put together for them. He wanted to tell her it was delicious, but then he would end up sounding like a broken record. Every time she gave him something to eat, he was always telling her between mouthfuls just how good it tasted. She always ended up puffing out her cheeks and stuttering out her thanks, and he always found it to be the cutest thing he'd ever seen her do. He could sit there and compliment her cooking for hours if it meant seeing _that_ expression every single time.

"What kind of stuff did you put in that?" Soul asked quietly as she got to her feet to snatch up his empty plate. He already had his seconds and there wasn't any more so she was going to put it in the kitchen sink where it belonged. Just for the hell of it, he continued. "That was the most amazing meal yet, Maka. You should work in a five star restaurant."

"Sh-Shut up!" Maka stammered, nearly dropping the plates into the sink. She waved her finger around and the sink turned itself on to begin doing the dirty work for her. Then, she turned around, crossed her arms and leaned on the counter. "You're such a jerk…teasing me like that."

"But I'm serious." Soul insisted. "I really like it."

She seemed surprised for a moment, because for once, Soul had attempted at putting on a soft and sincere expression. True, he had been teasing her about the restaurant thing, but he really did love her cooking. He liked it a whole lot more than his Mother's now, and that was saying something all on its own. He'd grown up around those meals, every single day, eating something he thought exceeded everything else. Now that he'd been introduced to Maka's cooking, however, it felt a lot more at home and it seemed like she put a lot more love and work into what she did than Roselin. He didn't want to admittedly insult the matriarch of his family, but he came to realize that the simple touch Maka gave everything tasted a whole lot better than something that had been drowned in seasonings and sauces.

She reflected his soft expression right back at him like a mirror—surprising him—and then moved back over to the couch. She wasn't wearing her usual Witch garb, he noted earlier, but he didn't actually pay much attention to what she was wearing instead until then. She was wearing a simple cream colored sweater and silky pants he guessed she would wear to bed. The gloves were off, hat too, and she was barefoot; showing off her unpainted toenails as she padded across the floor.

Before he realized it, she was sitting in his lap, legs on each side of him and she was leaning her chin down on his shoulder in an embrace. For a moment, Soul panicked because he was not quite used to being so close to her yet. The closest they'd ever gotten were a few hugs here and there, leaning against each other and well, that kiss he'd stolen from her the night before. Suddenly, things seemed suffocating and he could feel his body heat beginning to rise as his muscles tensed beneath her. Albeit, once he felt her body move and her fingers lightly trace down his arm to take his hand, he felt himself relax enough to realize what was happening. She was nestling into him, getting comfortable…oh what was the word—_cuddling_?

Was that what couples did? He'd never had a real girlfriend before, he didn't know.

He'd flirted around and gone on a few dates but this…this was on a whole different level. Maka was different. She was different than any other girl. She wasn't Liz: she didn't wear make-up and paint her nails. She didn't worry about her hair so terribly it would be unhealthy and she sure as hell never cared about what she wore in public. She wasn't the sort of person to pull on his arm and drag him around the mall to look at dresses or skimpy underwear. She didn't ask him to go on dates just because she wanted to finger her way into his pants, one conversation over a burger at a time. She was simply a whole different situation in itself.

Maka was Maka, and that ditch he'd dug for her was so God damn deep he was sure he'd never see sunlight again. But that wasn't as uncool as he would have thought a year ago.

Soul's free hand had mindlessly curled around one of her pigtails as it hung down passed his line of sight. Her hair was soft and he could smell strawberries with each flick of it. That had always been one of his favorite scents: strawberries. He wouldn't admit it because of his pride as a cool guy, but when a girl walked passed him with a hint of strawberry in her hair, he fought himself hard not to whip his head around in a double take. He was okay to admit that sometimes it was too much since girls practically bathed in perfume, but Maka seemed to be perfect. Everything about her—even that tiny chest of her's, even her love for literature, even her knack for throwing her spell book down on his head whenever he angered her—was perfectly fine with him. He wished he could have noticed it sooner, but Maka had become something so unexpected and yet so pleasant. He never expected himself to fall so hard for such a dangerous thing.

And yet, here he was…sitting on her couch with her in his lap and her fingers laced with his.

This is what couples did.

They were a couple, so…

"Piano."

Her quiet but sudden voice startled him from his thoughts and he felt his mouth go dry. Piano. She did it. That was his instrument of choice. He could play some of the other things she'd mentioned throughout their time knowing each other, but this classical instrument was the one thing that spoke to him most. His passion was the piano. "Y-Yeah." At his answer, she leaned back and away from the crook of his neck and revealed to him a cheerful smile. He could only return it with a small one that showed he'd become lost. "How did you suddenly figure it out?" There was definitely a shine of triumph in her eyes when he said that and he felt her lift his hand up between them.

"Your fingers…" Her voice was low in a soft whisper as she brought his hand closer to her. She took his fingers with her own while her hand held them up and she traced them lengthwise. The expression behind her lake green eyes brought out a sense of content within him. He'd never seen her look at anything like that before. She almost looked as if she'd fallen under a spell as she delicately ran her fingers over his own with a lightness feathers could be envious of. "…your fingers are long, thin…but strong…they're piano fingers."

"Nice observation." Soul smiled cooly when he saw her bright expression return. "I was beginning to think you'd never get it. You're not as dense as I thought you were."

She smacked his arm in response to that. "Shut up. Jerk." She huffed and dropped his hands to cross her arms over her chest. He immediately did was his instincts told him to and rested both of his hands on her legs. When she didn't respond to that, he slid them up to her hips and tucked the very tip of those 'piano fingers' of his underneath her sweater. That was when she reacted, and he felt her stomach suck in and her hands dropped to wrap around his arms. "H-Hey, keep your fingers to yourself."

"You don't like my long, thin but _strong_ fingers?" He asked, voice masked in a husky tone that managed to send chills up her spine. "I thought you liked them?" He slid his fingers further up her sweater and he was sure he felt his thumb brush against her belly button.

"S-Stop!"

And down came the wretched spell book from nowhere straight down the middle of his skull.

Maka had gotten off of him after that, shuffling across the floor with an angry fluster of curses and mutters. Soul rubbed his head free of the pain she'd left behind with the book she promptly set down on the couch beside him after the attack. "Here I thought we were having a moment." She huffed and reached up to take her pigtails out but then she froze where she stood as if she'd realized something and Soul could only lift an eyebrow curiously. His questions were soon answered when she spun around and flipped her mood back around. "Hey. You promised me you would play me what you've gotten down when I guessed the instrument!"

Soul's eyes darted to the clock on the wall over the sink. "It's eleven thirty at night."

"So what?" She set her hands on her hips and swayed over to the couch to lean on the arm and push her nose against his. Her voice sounded just as low as his had earlier, but instead of being seductive like he'd attempted, her voice had a hint of deviousness. "You _swore_."

Soul turned his face away from her's before he could redden from the close proximity and he managed a quick "Fine," before pushing himself up to his feet. She jumped up in delight, excited to have gotten her way and then ran over to the little bag she had sitting on the counter by the sink. She dug through it as he approached her from behind, but before he could sneak in another hold, she'd spun around and held out the photo of his bedroom for him to take.

"I assume you have a piano at your house right?" She asked after noticing him staring at it dumbly.

"…My parents are sleeping."

His reply caused the Witch's eyebrows to crease and her lip to stick out in a pout.

"Aw fuck, don't look at me like that." He brought his hand up to run it through his hair before letting out a sigh. Maybe if he were lucky, his parents had taken melatonin to help them fall asleep that night. These days, they'd been going on long missions out of town to search for the Witch foundation. They searched throughout the entire length of the day, exhausted themselves to the bone and even though they were so tired they could probably pass out standing up, they ended up taking a sleeping aid to get the deed done quickly. His parents had been put in that situation before so Soul knew that it was always enough to put them in a dead sleep that even his piano ripping through the walls wouldn't disturb.

He would have to take the risk, because after all, Maka was worth it.

* * *

><p>Soul hadn't seen his piano in quite a long time, actually. He'd been into his practice room a few times throughout the months to grab his composing sheets when the desk in his room would run low. However, he never actually went down there to play out his songs to get a good feel of the melody when doing so. He knew far too well that it was a bad habit for a pianist like himself, but he couldn't help but feel distant from the musical instrument these days. Lately his parents had been prodding him more about the Witches and couldn't care less about his playing (not like they actually cared about his playing anyway). It was always about Wes's skills with the violin, because of course, he was the only one still putting on concerts to earn a respectful crowd of cheering and applauding people when his song was over. Not Soul. <em>Never<em> Soul. He was lucky to be invited to sit with his parents during the recitals.

He could play the piano, indeed, but he was nowhere near as talented as his older brother.

His music was crap.

That made Soul scared, when he managed to bring Maka downstairs and into the hallway that served as a bit of a soundproof barrier from the other two rooms. Instead of opening the door to the left, he opened the one to the right and revealed to the Witch, the room he'd spent most of his childhood slaving over the piano inside. She was quiet for the most part, but once she laid eyes on the glossy surface of the grand piano, she couldn't keep herself from cooing in awe. He closed the door behind him with a quiet soft click and followed her over to the bench. Her fingers slid across the surface of the fallboard and her eyes wandered to the desk over in the corner. There were papers scattered all over it, an unlit candle on top, and a small clock to make sure the pianist didn't get too carried away.

"It's so pretty…" She looked back at him, eyes shining and he couldn't help but feel a bitter twist in his chest. "I never pictured you sitting in front of one of these…"

"But you could picture me in front of a harp?" He teased to lift his own spirits, not just to see that sheepish expression form on her cream colored face. After straightening his posture a bit and letting out a deep breath he'd been holding, Soul stepped forward, notebook in hand, and swung his legs around the bench to sit in front of the grand piano. He carefully opened it and flipped through the pages until he came to the beginning of the song he'd been composing the last couple of weeks and then put it up on the music rack for better view. He could feel her eyes peering over his shoulders, so he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. This song he'd been writing wasn't normally what he wrote but he knew it still had the same shitty feeling his other songs gave off. He'd hummed the melody to himself before, and even though it had a hint of what he'd heard hum passed Maka's lips, there wasn't a chance in this world she would like it.

He was shaking.

"What's that note called?" Her finger pressed against the paper and he jumped in surprise. His concentration on the fallboard kept him from noticing her approach and lean against his back. "It starts out the song, right?"

"G." Soul said. "I'm starting now." As if she could feel his body shaking in anticipation, Maka stepped away and he could no longer feel her presence. He shot a glance over his shoulder just to make sure she was still there, and was almost relieved to see her standing patiently with her hands held together behind her back. Her smile was small but genuine as she gestured for him to go on with just a slight bob of her head. He nodded back, turned to the piano and pushed the cover up to reveal glossy ivory keys.

He pressed down on a few of them to get warmed up. He didn't need a refresher at where each key was; it was just his nerves that he was trying to push away. Maka was standing in the room and waiting for him to play and he was so scared of her hating his piece that it was beginning to eat away at him as he continued to press down on the keys.

"Okay." He stopped and let out another held breath. "I'll start for real now."

He didn't have to look at her to tell that her lips spread further in excitement.

Here went nothing. Soul took in one last sharp breath of air, raised his fingers above the right keys and after bringing one down on the G, he carried on with bringing his composition to life. At first, he figured it hadn't been as crappy as he thought it would have been, but that had only been because the beginning of his piece had the same melody as the song he always found Maka humming to herself after a long day of training. It had been his inspiration to write this piece, and that was what gave him the confidence to continue his playing. It sounded nice; for once his score wasn't as terrible as it could have been.

Or maybe not.

When the song transitioned into a bridge, he felt his shoulders slump as his fingers ran across the keys. He didn't stop playing, however, since he'd already come this far, but the fear bubbling up inside him worsened with each strong and pitched key. It wasn't the most perfect piece of music, and he knew Maka would criticize him the second his fingers halted. He knew his Mother would have and especially his Father. He had a feeling, even if his song had continued on with the peaceful tune from the beginning, his Father still would have hit him and scolded him to make it better.

He was never good enough.

"Wow."

His body jumped as the song came to a close. Her voice was airy and filled with the same awe she'd let out when she first saw the piano sitting in the corner of the room. Was that a good thing? Soul went to look over his shoulder but he heard her bare feet tap against the wooden floor as she came closer. She sat down on the bench next to him and he immediately snapped his head to look at her. Her back was to the keys, but she had turned her body to face his and there was a smile on her face and her mossy hues reflected a sense of satisfaction.

She liked it?

"It was familiar." She mused, eyes wandering to the keys sitting out in a row in front of him. "My Mama's lullaby." Even with her body turned away from the piano, she raised a hand and pressed down on the key he'd pressed down on to begin the song. "You're so talented…that was so amazing…you were able to capture the melody of my Mama's lullaby and I don't think I've sung it around you all that much."

He felt the corner of his lips tug and dare to smile. "You…hum it a lot."

She turned her attention to him again. "That's even _more_ amazing. You were nearly spot on, Soul."

Her compliments both crushed him and lifted his spirits at the same time. Was she actually serious?

Red orbs dragged across the keys once he looked away from her and smiled bitterly to himself. She had begun after that to compliment how wonderful the rest of his piece was: the stuff he'd written without her Mother's lullaby to inspire him. The rest of the song was his own piece of work. It was the part of the song that would have made his Mother cringe, his Father scowl and his Brother to shake his head in embarrassment. It was the part of the song that he was sure Maka would hate.

However, she proved his feelings wrong when she went about how amazing it sounded and how she'd been lulled into a sway and almost wanted to dance. He couldn't even fathom why she would want to dance to such dark and ridiculous music, and he tried to make out the lies as she went on and on, but there was nothing he could pick up. She sounded so genuine and true. She sounded like every compliment that spilled out of her mouth was nowhere near a lie. She was actually fond of his music. She loved his music.

She didn't understand it but she still absolutely _loved_ it.

Soul closed the fallboard over the keys and shook his head. "You have shitty taste in music." This caused the Witch to stop smiling and crease her eyebrows, but he didn't notice since his eyes were still firmly stuck on the glossy surface of the piano. "Even my own Mother hates my work."

"I'm not your Mom." Maka retorted, placing her hand on his as it rested on the fallboard. His jaw tensed and he closed his eyes to avoid getting pulled in by her hard emerald stare. "I'm Maka Albarn. I'm a Witch. I'm not your Mom." She squeezed his hand. "I love your music. I think it's beautiful. I think you're the most talented person I've ever met." But she hadn't met many musicians though, he thought resentfully. "And so what if I have shitty music taste? That doesn't matter. It's only embarrassing if you care what other people think."

That's what got him.

He brought his head up and looked at her sharply, only to be met with a sincere smile spread across her thin lips. His jaw was taut only until he saw that look in her eyes he'd found in Liz's eyes toward Kid: that shine of caring, admiration and dare he say it—love.

"…You're so dumb." He let his shoulders relax when he felt her hand squeeze his again.

"Dumb enough to fall for a guy like you."

As he went to embarrassingly reply to that, her eyes fluttered closed and she brought her lips up to meet his to cut him off clean. Unlike the night before, this kiss _literally_ sent a wave of sparks through his body and caused his heart to skip a beat. It was a powerful serge of energy that should have pushed him away from her, but he only pressed further and snaked his arms around her tiny frame to bring her closer. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers getting lost in the white mop atop his head, and a pleased sigh slipped passed her lips just before they finally parted for air. They both felt as if their lungs were lacking the right amount of air to live on despite having only performed such a ritual action for a few seconds. It must have been the spark of energy that tore through his nervous system that took his breath away. She had felt that too, right?

Soul stayed with her that night back at the cove for the first time since they'd met. They had made a careful escape from the mansion when he thought he heard footsteps coming in their direction, and when she disappeared, she brought him along with her. He had made a promise to her that late evening as well and it was what led him to staying when she brought it up and prevented him from stepping out the front door. He had told her he'd never leave her and that whatever happened, the newly formed bond between them would never break apart. He'd always be there for her; he swore this to her and himself too.

Even if she _did_ make him sleep on the couch because she was 'too nervous to sleep in the same bed'.

* * *

><p>SO SORRY FOR THE LATE POST<p>

I hope it was worth it though

this is one of my favorite chapters

xoxoxo


	21. Chapter 21

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 21

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><p>Maka made him breakfast.<p>

When his eyes fluttered open the next morning (a little too early for his comfort), he realized he wasn't in his bed, but cramped up on a tiny couch with just a small pillow and a thin blanket. The scent of eggs on the stove filled his nostrils and pulled him from the cushions and he turned to watch the Witch hum a soft tune under her breath with a spatula in hand. The song she'd been singing that morning was an off pitch version of his piano piece he'd shown her the night before. It made him smile, but at the same time he couldn't help but look down at his food with a sheepish laugh. She was being way too carefree.

They joked around for the most part, exchanged a few laughs and shot a few flirty smiles from across the room too. That and the fact that Maka was still tough and knocked him around a little outside before he left was enough to help him relax and let loose. However, once he realized his classes would begin soon, he felt that sense of urgency rush through him and he was picking up his things and running for the cliff before Maka even had the chance to offer to teleport him.

When he was halfway up the staircase that led up to the Academy, Soul was cursing at himself for not asking her to give him a head start. He groaned under his breath in the hallways of the school just outside his classroom door. Despite his rush, he'd made it there at least ten minutes early, and everyone that attended classes that morning was walking around the halls, chatting their ears off and making a mess of things by the lockers.

The special occasion for the gathering of all the students in the school wasn't just because classes hadn't started just yet. That day was an important Monday morning where students could begin signing up for The Exam that was supposed to begin that week. It was supposed to begin that Wednesday, actually, and it did nothing but manifest rumors and gossip among the students. Soul's nerves didn't fail to turn and twist his stomach around, but he managed to push those feelings aside as he waited for Stein to set up his sign up table over at the other end of the hallway.

He was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed and head back to show that he wasn't going to tolerate any bullshit that would come with the next wave of rowdy teenagers. He was waiting for Stein to get the signup sheet out and ready for him to scribble down his name and get the day going. Whatever happened, though, he knew that the Professor would have to get on with it quickly before he got cold feet and decided not to do it. He knew he had to if he wanted to get Soul Eater for Maka. It was his only choice, but he still felt slightly weak in the knees at the thought of participating in the event.

"Good Morning Soul."

Irked by the sudden voice, Soul pried his eyes open and brought his gaze down to meet one full of golden curiosity. Death the Kid stood in front of him, feet placed on the ground shoulders width apart and a stature of perfect posture. Soul nodded his head a little to show that he'd acknowledged his presence before shooting a glance to the right to see if Stein had begun to set things up yet. There was a table there, sitting alone against the wall, but the white haired professor hadn't made his presence known quite yet.

"I heard that you and Maka were an item now." Kid continued; immediately pulling Soul's attention away from the empty table. "I came by to congratulate—"

"How did you know that?" Soul pushed away from the wall, arms dropping to his sides. This caused the young Reaper to take a step back in response. "Did Black*Star tell you?"

Kid's eyebrows pinched together to give him a questionable look. "Yes, what's the matter?"

He didn't have to know Soul all that well to realize that this had caused him to become livid. His sharp teeth ground together in irritation and his hands balled up into fists. It was obvious that the blue haired boy had been told to keep quiet about his findings now that he'd seen the musician's reaction to the news.

"Hey, Kid." Soul's shoulders relaxed and he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I was thinking about going to Black*Star's house later tonight. I dunno' if you want to join me or not but, I was thinking about slitting his throat in his sleep? What do you say?"

"I-I beg your pardon?"

Just as if he was on cue, one of the nearby windows shattered and the glass came crashing down against the hallway floor with an echoing boom of a yell. Soul, Kid and many other students shot their eyes in the direction of the blast just in time to see a blur of aqua hair and a grinning mouth of white teeth.

"IT IS _I._ THE GREAT BLACK*STAR! I'M HERE TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR DAY AND—"

As soon as things settled down and the glass rested peacefully around Black*Star's feet, Soul was moving. He darted away from Kid and immediately threw himself into the ninja's space; snagging him by the shirt and shoving him into the opposite wall of the broken window.

"Wh-What's the big deal!?" Black*Star choked out, reaching up to grab Soul's wrist. Normally he would have immediately countered an attack such as this, but because it was his best friend, he would let him get away with it for now. As long as he had a good reason to do it, Black*Star was willing to let him take the spot light just for a few seconds. "What's crawled up your ass and died?!"

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Soul barked, pushing him up further. "I told you if you told anyone, I would kill you, and what did you do? You went and let your big mouth run until the secret was out! You never think about other people's feelings, do you?!"

Black*Star's eyes hardened but instead of fighting back and barking out insults, he brought his lips up in a lopsided and demented snarl that scared off the students around them, all except for Kid. "Yeah, so what if I told everyone?" He asked with a harsh tone, causing Soul's pulse to quicken in rage. "Does it really matter that much to you?" Infuriated, Soul raised his fist and went to swing it against the boy's jaw but Kid quickly intervened.

"S-Soul. He actually only told me." He reached forward and pulled the musician's fist down. "I'm sorry. I questioned him about it earlier because when I saw him, he had that stupid expression on his face that he gets when he knows a secret but can't tell anyone. I couldn't stop myself. "

It took him a moment, but Soul turned away from Kid and looked back up at the boy he held up by the collar. He saw that he was now grinning and stifling back an amused laugh. Of course, he'd only been fucking with him. That almost pissed him off more than him letting the secret get out. He dropped his friend, earning a chuckle from the boy, but didn't let him off so easily. Soul still ended up swinging his fist and giving him a dead arm; or so he hoped.

"Whoa, man, calm down. Take a joke."

"Shut up." Soul hissed. "That wasn't funny."

"Hey hey, am I still gonna meet that Tsubaki chick today?"

He went straight to a different subject as Soul's eyes darted back down the hall to see if Stein had finally come out to greet the students. When he noticed the man behind a pair of glasses, shuffle in from a different hall, he immediately began moving in that direction and ignored Black*Star's calls. He pushed through the other teenagers that began to huddle around the desk and whisper about what was going on. A few of the students were even wondering what it was for since they'd been deprived of the information.

Soul waited behind a few other students before him as they took the clipboard from Stein and signed their names on the line. He tapped his foot impatiently, grumbling to himself as his hands dug deep into his pockets. He just had to pull through long enough to get his name on paper, and then he would be able to relax and let the weight come off his shoulders. His only concern was losing his cool just as he grabbed the pen. He was scared that the Professor wouldn't allow him to do it. His skills had become much more promising because of his training with Maka, so there was a chance he would be able to get in, but that decision still wasn't up to him.

The students that were in front of him walked off when they were finished signing up, and Soul dragged his feet forward to stand at the opposite side of the table that Stein sat at. He noticed, just when he turned to look at the people belonging to the names on the paper, they were much older than him and most likely a lot stronger too.

"Good Morning Soul, how may I help you?"

Soul looked back at Stein and saw that the professor was sitting on his chair the wrong way again. He was looking up at him with an amused smile, as if he was getting a laugh out of his nervous fidgeting. "I'd like to sign up." He took his hand out of his pockets and gestured to the clipboard. There was no pen resting nearby to prove that everyone had to go through the teacher first. "You know-…for The Exam."

Stein leaned forward a bit, causing the back of the chair to bend awkwardly in that direction. "You'll be going after Soul Eater then, right?" Suddenly, Soul felt his shoulders tense and the palms of his hands became clammy. It felt as if the man sitting in front of him was staring straight through him and down to his soul. It was as if he was reading him for any signs of emotion, any signs of breaking under the pressure, and just when Soul's lips parted to reply, the Professor began to chuckle lightheartedly. "What are you getting so tense for? That's half the reason why everyone gets in this thing. That or they want to participate for the sole purpose of showing off." He picked the clipboard up off of the table and then held it out along with the pen. "It's not like you're winning it for someone else or anything." For a split second, Soul thought he saw a grim understanding in Stein's eyes. "_Right_, Soul?"

The flicker behind Stein's glasses was enough to scare Soul out of his wits. It was the same feeling he got when he ran into him when Maka came into town to see Soul Eater. It was that dark look that spoiled the smile on Stein's lips that caused the musician to stagger. He took a step back, swallowed dryly and stared at the clipboard that was extended out to him.

He knew. Stein knew. Stein actually did hear his conversation with Maka the other day. He heard everything and yet-…he was letting him take part?

Soul managed to pull himself out of his paranoia long enough to take the clipboard and sign his name down on the third line. He wrote it out with shaking fingers and quickly slammed everything back onto the table before turning to make his getaway. Immediately after that, the student body erupted into a fit of whispers and shouts.

"Hey! Soul was able to sign up!" Black*Star was one of those voices as he too pushed through the crowd of students to slam his hand onto the table. "I was thinking about waiting for the next one but hell, if Soul's doing it, I'm doing it too! There's no way you can say no to the great Black*Star!"

"I'd actually like to sign up too." Kid agreed, stepping up from behind him. "If that's alright Professor?"

Soul didn't look over his shoulder or strain his hearing to find out if their teacher had agreed to this or not. All he wanted was to get to class and put his head down before their lesson began. Stein would be out there for quite a while so he knew school wouldn't officially begin for him on schedule. That didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing, however, because that only meant he was able to close his eyes and get a few minutes of sleep into his day before he was thrown into the arena for a fight to start their week.

* * *

><p>Despite being slapped over the head for being asleep when the class officially started, the rest of his day went by smoothly. He was thrown into the arena to go up against Medusa again, and Black*Star made sure that Soul didn't get in <em>his<em> way this time. The fight against her had been simplified when Stein admitted to putting a seal on the woman's body to make her magic less powerful. He made sure to tell them that when they went up against the Witches at the end of The Exam, no such seal would exist and they would be fighting against them at their full potential.

That was the reason why The Exam was so special, he guessed.

His fight with Medusa did drag on for a good hour before they finally managed to knock her out cold. It was the only rough patch in his day at school. He'd been knocked around, most likely sprained his shoulder again, and even though she seemed hard to get to, by distracting her it was easy enough to get under her tail and knock her on her rear. Soul only managed to do so after teaming up with Black*Star, which he would have rather gotten a face full of Maka's fist than do that at first.

In the end, Medusa had been thrown back into her cell, they were given an apathetic 'good job' from their Instructor, and Soul and Black*Star were thrown into another bickering fit. He hadn't let go of the joke from earlier that morning. He nearly had a heart attack in fear that everyone in the City knew what had been going on between him and Maka. He wouldn't have been surprised if the guy straight up walked to his front door and decided to tell his parents about it like it was the most normal thing in the world.

That thought alone was enough to get him to throw a punch into Black*Star's face and turn their verbal argument into something a lot more physical. He was lucky that Liz decided to step in and drag him out by the arm or else he was sure the boy with the star tattoo would have ended up injuring him. Black*Star did get a good swing to his jaw though, and Soul had a feeling it would lock in place if he wasn't careful. Instead of going back to apologize, however, he approached the Professor up on the viewing platform that he could get to by using the stairs in the hall across from Soul Eater's confinement. The man had a cigarette in his mouth and Soul found himself wondering how he managed to get his rolling chair up there.

He stood quiet by the staircase and waited for everyone at the base of it to leave the arena and get out of earshot. Stein seemed to notice him but hadn't said anything yet either since he'd quietly taken the cig from between his lips and let out a small plume of smoke.

When everyone was gone, Soul spoke up.

"You know."

It seemed as if Stein knew exactly what he had brought up because he didn't question it. He flicked the end of the cigarette and then turned his chair to face the other white haired male. He eyed him from behind his glasses, fixated on something Soul couldn't quite tell, and then finally, his head tilted slightly. "That Maka is a Witch?" Just as he thought. Soul's blood ran cold, and he balled his hands into fists. He couldn't verbalize an answer for the older man. Instead he just gave a stiff nod and kept his distance. Stein set the cigarette back between his lips to inhale the dangerous smoke before letting it out again. "Yes I know. I overheard your conversation the other day."

Soul didn't move. He couldn't bring himself to come forward or even turn around and bolt down the stairs to get out of there. "Why didn't you do anything?" He asked, voice quiet because of the fear that had begun to form within him. "You heard our conversation. You found out she was a Witch, but…you didn't do anything?" His eyebrows furrowed together and he held his hands up as if he was waiting for Stein to interrupt him and get on with his explanation. "Why haven't you told my parents? Why am I not in trouble? Why did you let Maka get away?"

"She seemed like a good girl." Stein finally replied and let his lips curve in a small smile. Soul narrowed his eyes at him and examined it to see if he were actually sincere about it, but the Professor was too hard to read. "Is she the reason your knowledge and fighting skills have polished so well in such little time?"

Angry that he hadn't been answered completely, Soul hesitated to answer. "…yes."

"Interesting." Stein hummed.

Finally, Soul came forward and he moved closer to the older man. He looked into the arena quickly to make sure everyone was gone for sure and then lowered his voice just in case. "Why are you letting me go through with The Exam if you know what I'm going to do with Soul Eater?" It was a question that had been eating away at him the entire fight against Medusa. His thoughts had distracted him and that had been the only reason why he was knocked around so easily despite all of the training he got from Maka. "Why did you let me sign up today?"

Stein flicked the end of the cigarette again and leaned back, bringing the back of the chair toward him. "I heard enough to know it's all in good intentions." Soul quirked an eyebrow at that, letting his hands relax at his sides again. There was no way that man could understand what Maka was going through, but even so, he was willing to hand Soul Eater over, just like that? Just because he heard a story from around a corner? "Besides…if you end up winning, you can do whatever you want with Soul Eater. I can't stop you." Stein smiled at the realization that flickered behind Soul's scarlet red hues. "And your skills are exceptional enough for The Exam so I can't stop you from taking part in that either."

No, there was no way Stein was letting Soul actually have his way. There had to have been another reason behind his decision. Soul watched carefully as the scientist leaned forward in the rolling chair again and breathed out another small cloud of ashy smoke. The man in front of him would stop at nothing to get new information about something. He would do whatever it took to learn, and this was an opportunity to learn about a Witch and a Witch Hunter that were mysteriously friends. He knew that look the man had behind his framed eyes. It was a look of anticipation, desire, interest; it was the expression of a researcher that was eager to get a scalpel in hand and an experiment on a table.

"…You just want to sit back and wait to see what happens." Soul suggested grimly.

Stein's smile spread just slightly. "Yes."

Soul scoffed and turned to leave. "Typical you."

Although, just as his foot came down onto the first step downward, Stein's chair rolled closer and a hand snatched up his wrist. Soul's heart stopped and he turned to except his imminent punishment, but nothing of the sort ever came. The Professor had just stopped him to speak up again. "Soul, you must be aware of her actions." He squeezed his wrist and Soul felt a disgusted choke emit from the back of his throat. "It's possible that she could only be using you. Witches are genius manipulators."

"Not possible." Soul bit back the urge to scream that at the man as he tugged his arm away. "Maka wouldn't do that." Stein leaned away, eyes peering up at him with an expression Soul recognized as wonder. "I've known her for a long time now and I know for a fact that she'd never betray me." Especially now that the two of them had bonded, there was just no way she would do something like that. He wanted to tell his teacher about that so badly, but he knew it would only make things far more worse than they already were. Then again, the idea of it all being a trick just to double-cross him stuck in his head and caused him to swallow thickly.

"She would never stab me in the back like that. She knows that's not cool."

"…are you sure?"

Soul pressed his lips together and visibly flinched back in reaction to that question. It hit him a little harder than he thought it would. "…No." He wasn't sure. He shook his head and dropped his eyes to his shoes. They were dirty and worn out from all of his time going out to see the very Witch that had been the subject of their conversation. "I'm not sure." Taking in a sharp breath, Soul managed to look up again and answer the man. He decided to listen to his gut and go by his instincts: to speak from the heart. "But I _trust_ her. That's all that matters, right?"

Stein was silent as the cigarette hung from between his lips and the end of it burned itself off. The smoke rose in a thin line up and over their heads and was soon joined with a heavier cloud of smoke when he finally smiled and let out a breath. "Ah…trust." He rolled the chair back to where it originally sat before Soul approached him and he nodded his head slowly. "…I suppose so."

Soul didn't wait long enough for Stein to get curious about something new. He turned and he ran down the stairs as quickly as he could without tripping and falling on his face and he bolted out into the hallway to find where he set down his things in the classroom. He gathered his stuff into his backpack, threw it over his shoulder and then was on his way out of the school to go home just before lunch. He would most likely meet Black*Star out at the cove with Maka if he really wanted to see Tsubaki that badly. For now, they both needed to stuff their faces and settle down for a little while before they ended up seeing each other again, just so that they didn't beat each other senseless in front of the two Witches.

* * *

><p>oop<p>

real deep serious and important conversation?

yeah im bad at being serious

what is my life

xoxoxo


	22. Chapter 22

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 22

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><p>Instead of heading straight to Maka's cove, Soul stopped by the house to fetch something quick to eat and drop off his bag. Normally when his classes got out early, he was able to get inside, put everything down and get out unseen since his Parents were busy with their search for the Witch Foundation. However, that certain Monday afternoon, when the musician slipped into the kitchen, he was discovered by his Mother who had been eating from a bowl of grapes over a pile of paperwork on the island. She looked up at him with a start and smiled gently when her hand was raised to wave hello and he smiled back.<p>

"Hey Mom. No searching today?"

"Not for another hour or so. We were all waiting on Stein to finish teaching." She leaned on the island as he circled around to the other side of it. He then reached out and took one of the apples that sat in the small wooden bowl on the counter top. "How did you do today?"

"Awesome." Soul tossed the apple up from one hand and caught it in the other. "Black*Star and I got in a fight but I think everything'll be cool once we play some ball for a little while."

"Will you be heading out to do that, then?" After this question, her youngest son nodded and held the apple up to his lips to bite down into it. "Then I guess I won't be seeing you later tonight. You've become such a stranger. You're never home anymore." The older albino in the room stuck her bottom lip out to pout, eyes reflecting a sort of sadness that caused him to frown. "Why won't you ever spend time with your family anymore?"

"I wasn't aware you actually wanted me around."

His sudden and cold tone caused her to stand ridged and when her eyes found the seriousness in his own, she turned her attention back to the papers. Her silence was enough to tell him that she had no come back and knew exactly what he was talking about. It almost made him angry.

"Hey Mom, do you know what my favorite color is?"

Her eyes sprung up from the papers and widened when she noticed the indifferent expression he wore. Her lips parted but only a soft noise emitted from the back of her throat and he let his arm drop onto the counter top. "Do you even know what my favorite band is? Who my other friends are besides Kid and Black*Star? What about my favorite book? Did you even know I liked reading? I don't read very often but I actually like it when I have nothing else to do." As his questioning continued on, Roselin wasn't able to find her voice, and that only fed his anger. "I bet you know _everything_ about Wes, huh?"

"D-Don't say that Soul—"

"Whatever. It's true and you know it." Soul lifted the apple back up to his lips and went to take another bite, but the second he opened his mouth, a sharp pain in his thumb caused him to drop it as if he'd been burned. "Ow! What the—" He and his Mother both jumped and looked at his thumb to see the damage, but nothing had disturbed the surface of his skin at all. Nothing changed; his thumb was completely unharmed. So why did it feel like a knife had run clean through it?

_'It's a string tied between a human and a Witch. It keeps them connected. They can hear each other's thoughts, feel each other's pain, and when one is afraid or sad, the other can feel that too.'_

Maka's words rang through his thoughts like an echo the moment he raised his thumb up for a better look. When he remembered that she had been talking about the bond, his hand slammed onto the counter before Roselin could circle around and offer to help him.

So that's what she meant about feeling each other's pain. Did that mean Maka hurt her thumb? And, if he could feel something like that on his own thumb, then did that mean she felt everything that happened to _him_ during his fight with Medusa and his brawl with Black*Star?! That thought gave him a nervous feeling in his gut and he had the sudden urge to dart out the door and go see if the "Class B" Witch was alright.

"W-What happened?"

"It's nothing; I just accidentally pricked it with my tooth." A lie was the only way he would be able to turn and leave without further questions. He knew how curious she could get, so he wouldn't want her to grow suspicious of an invisible pain. "I gotta go. Black*Star's probably waiting." He wouldn't have time to find something bigger to eat so he kept the apple in his hand as he turned to leave the kitchen and his mother behind. However, her voice was calling out to him again and halting him at the archway.

"Hold on…were you playing the piano last night by any chance?"

Soul looked at her from over his shoulder. "…no."

For a second, he thought he saw disappointment in her eyes before she turned back to what she had been doing before he arrived. "I see. I must have been hearing things." She then mumbled just barely loud enough for him to hear. "…it sounded really nice too. I was so proud."

He wouldn't let those heart stopping words keep him from leaving the house, but that didn't mean he didn't feel a flutter of excitement to know that his Mother finally liked his playing for once.

* * *

><p>Normally when Soul showed up at the cove to spend some valuable alone time with Maka, he waited for her by the fire pit. This was because she could always tell when he was nearby and would always come running through the doorway to greet him either with a grin or a fist in his gut. It was then, when the rest of their day was determined. A smile signified that they would be going to visit Tsubaki or Angela while a punch in his stomach told him that she was ready to do some training until the sun set.<p>

Once Soul made it to the cove that day, he didn't let her jump out of the house with her greeting. He went straight to the door, grabbed the handle and pushed through to walk inside. Maka was standing in her small kitchen, her back turned to him, but spun around quickly when the door swung open. Her viridescent eyes blinked in surprised as he stared back at her with a strictly concerned expression.

After a long few seconds, Maka finally spoke up. "Do you think you own the place now or what?" He stood up straight and eyed the door when she turned toward him completely and set her hands on her hips. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"I—" Soul bit down on his lip before shaking his head and stepping through the threshold. "Never mind that. What happened to your thumb?"

"What?" She stared at him, dumbfounded and in almost an instant her eyes flashed with a realization that pulled them down to her hand. She held it up in front of her for a second before looking back at him. "You felt that. I almost forgot." That same thumb jerked over her shoulder to point to a book sitting on the counter and then her cheeks pinked while a bashful smile spread across her lips. "I just got a pretty bad paper cut. I already healed it though, so it's okay…" Soul closed the door behind him quietly as she explained herself and then he made his way across the room to peer over her shoulder to see the book sitting by itself near the sink. While he did so, Maka's smile faded and became a lot more apologetic. "I'm sorry. Did it scare you?"

Soul's eyes were drawn to her's when he felt her fingers brush against his own. He looked down to the thumb he had felt the invisible sharp edge of a page cut through and shook his head. "At first, kind of but I remembered what it was so I didn't freak out or anything." He closed that feathery distance between their fingers and took her hand to squeeze it with a gentle pressure. "You didn't happen to feel anything from me today did you…?"

Maka smiled intensely and for a second he thought she was about to laugh at him, but the look she had in her eyes seemed almost as if she was about to tease him instead. "Yeah, my shoulder was pretty sore no thanks to you." His eyes widened slightly as her free hand reached up to take her chin under her fingers. "Could you be _any_ more reckless, seriously, my jaws been feeling out of place for a few hours too."

That must have been when Black*Star punched him during their argument…

"S-Sorry…"

"It's fine. Barely hurt at all."

He couldn't say the same for himself.

His free hand lifted so he could brush his knuckles against her chin affectionately. "For your information, that strike to my jaw was from Black*Star, not Medusa. You can get him back for that later if you want." He exchanged a grin with her and then looked at her hair when he noticed his fingers brush through thick locks. "Hey, your hair's down…" He hadn't noticed at first, but the ribbons that usually held her hair up in pigtails were not present and her sandy hair was freely hanging over her shoulders.

Her cheeks were dashed with a hint of red when she tugged on her hair out of nervous habit. "A-Ah, yeah I took it down earlier." Her eyes darted from side to side and looked just about anywhere other than his eyes. "Is it weird? I can put it back up if you want."

"Do whatever." Soul replied, smirking at her flustered reaction. "I like it either way."

"YA-HAA! MAKA! BLACK*STAR HAS COME TO GREET YOU!"

Both of them jumped at the sudden yell and shot their gazes over to the front door. From what they could hear, the ninja had only just arrived and was still making his way over to where her house sat at the base of the cove. Soul sighed under his breath and Maka just shook her head. Honestly, he thought they would have had a little more time to spend alone before he ended up crashing through the roof or something. Oh well. A little time with others would be good. Soul had actually begun to miss Tsubaki's company a little. They hadn't spoken for a week or two since the last time he and Maka went to visit.

"Maka! Where are you? Is Soul here yet? Why hasn't anyone noticed me yet? This is a problem!"

Soul groaned with a noticeable agitation before stepping away from the Witch to make his way over to the door. When their hands came apart, Maka put it behind her back and watched as he opened the portal to the outside world to find the blue haired maniac standing on the boulder by the fire pit. It seemed strange, now that she had felt the warmth of another on her hand. It just wasn't the same when her fingers laced together as it was when Soul's fingers were there.

"Hey, we're here! Stop yelling now!"

"Oh hey! What were you two doing all alone in there, huh?" Black*Star's voice sounded suggestive, and it made Soul's face turn bright with color.

"Shut up!"

Maka snatched up her gloves, took the book over to the shelf by the couch, and then turned to follow the musician out. "Hey Black*Star." She greeted the other hunter with a wave of her hand as she approached the bickering boys and when neither of them responded, her eyebrow quirked up curiously. It almost seemed like their arguing was being fueled by something much more than just the fact that they'd been interrupted. It was almost as if there was something more resting behind the toxic words spilling passed their lips.

"With all your damn yelling you're going to draw someone out here!"

"It's not my fault I have such a big voice!"

"Yes it is! You're the one who's yelling all the time!" Soul jabbed a finger in Black*Star's chest. "How do you think secrets of yours always end up spilling huh?"

"Oh, so we're bringing _that_ up again!?"

"Boys!" Maka reached out and smacked them both on their arms to get them to look her way. "I don't know what's going on between you two but shut up. All this yelling will give me a headache." She reached up and touched her fingers to her temple before shifting her weight to one foot. "Besides…I don't think Tsubaki will appreciate all the yelling either."

"Oh!" The name succeeded in bringing out a realization in the blue haired warrior since he had jumped up and completely forgotten about his argument with Soul. "Speaking of her, where is she? Is she excited to meet the great Black*Star after all this time of waiting?"

Maka gave an unsure smile and turned away. "Uh…Yeah I guess so?" When she had mentioned the boy to Tsubaki the day before, the girl seemed surprised that such a person even existed. She did seem like she wanted to meet him but she didn't give off the impression that she was excited. "I kind of made plans with some other friends a week or so ago that was supposed to happen today, so I was thinking that Tsubaki could join us. Just promise me you won't make a scene or tell anyone about their home."

When he realized she meant Angela and Mifune, Soul's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She was willing to take him to see those two so soon? She must have really trusted him to be a good friend…

"Whatever! Lead the way!"

Maka snorted and turned at the heel to motion for them to follow her. Soul was already by her side with his hands deep into his pockets since he knew exactly where she was headed, and Black*Star followed closely behind with his hands behind his head and his eyes wandering around to look at just about everything.

When they arrived at the site belonging to Witch Angela's home, Black*Star was running around the two of them and examining everything to get a full idea of where he would be spending his time for the next couple of hours. Once they passed the first row of 'keep out' caution tape, Maka called out to the little Witch inside so she would come out and tackle her down in a cheerful embrace. Soul smiled to himself as his best friend came over to stand nearby and watch and soon, she was looking up at the white haired male with just as much excitement. He didn't expect her to throw herself into him for a hug as well. He almost stumbled back.

"Hi Soul!"

"H-Hey Angela." He pat his hand on her head and then turned to look at Black*Star as he stared down at the little girl with the iguana hat on her head. "Oh hey, this is my friend Bla—"

"No no!" Black*Star's hand shot up and Soul's lips clamped shut. "Only someone as great as me can introduce me. I'll be doing the honors." As Angela stared up at him in befuddlement, the boy with aquamarine eyes cleared his throat and then set his hands on his hips. "I am the one and only Black*Star! The only person in the world great enough to capitalize the 'M' in Me! I will surpass—"

"Not interested!" Angela held her hand up to shut the boy up before running over to grab onto Maka's hands. "Come on, start a fire or something! This time Mifune has s'more stuff so we can make those again!"

Maka smiled down at her and nodded. "Okay, but let me call Tsubaki first."

"Okay!"

While this was underway, Black*Star stood ridged with his mouth still hanging open. He hadn't been interrupted in the middle of one of his speeches in a long time. Being ignored was something he was always met with but no one had actually said something like that to him. He was appalled. He was boiling in anger. He was about to yell at the little girl for having the audacity to stop his show, but Soul's hand firmly placing itself on his shoulder and squeezing him back into reality was the only thing that managed to calm him down this time around. Not even hearing the name of the mysterious Witch, Tsubaki brought him out of it.

"She's just a kid." Soul mumbled.

Black*Star's expression softened but he did not smile. "…yeah, I get it, I guess."

Soul smiled over at his friend, proud to see that he managed to calm down a little, and then he looked over just in time to see Maka walking back over toward them with a plucked flower in her hand. Black*Star looked too when she then held the flower to her lips and whispered the camellia's name against it's pedals; making them shake underneath her breath. That was when Maka held the flower up toward the direction of the desert and cliff, and the breeze picked it up and took it away.

"What the heck?" The ninja's head tilted slightly as they watched the pedals split apart and scatter across the air, then immediately come together again just a few feet away from the edge of the cliff. They seemed to multiply and gather into a mass far greater than the flower that previously existed, and soon it took on the shape of a person. Before he knew it, the color of the red pedals changed and a woman stood there instead, eyes closed and hands held together in front of her. When her eyes opened again, they revealed to him to be a deep indigo and the soft smile she wore on her thin lips was enough to even render _him_ of all people speechless.

What was this beautiful magnificence standing before him?

Was this what a Goddess looked like?

"Hello Maka," Tsubaki smiled at her friend as the sandy haired girl came over to greet her and then she looked up at Soul and waved her hand. "Hello Soul, it's good to see you too. It's been awhile." She smiled a little wider and her cheeks reddened when she remembered the stories Maka had told her the day before during their rendezvous. But before she could let her tongue slip and comment impolitely about it, her eyes moved on and fell onto the blazing blue that belonged to the boy standing beside the musician. "Oh, is this who you mentioned yesterday?"

Maka nodded to her and then gestured her hand out to the boy. Then everyone was looking at him, expecting him to blurt out his introduction and go on an arrogant rant about how he would surpass the Gods. However they were met with silence as he continued to stare at Tsubaki with a hint of surprise and awestruck that baffled Soul once he realized what it was.

"Uh…" Soul, perplexed by his friend's odd behavior, turned to Tsubaki to do the honors. "Yeah, this is Black*Star—" He shut up the second he felt a fierce glare being pointed his way, and he turned back to the ninja with a glare of his own. "Hey, _someone's_ gotta introduce you if you're just gonna stand there drooling like an idiot!"

The other boy held his hand up quickly and pushed Soul aside before stepping forward and bowing his head down to the angelic Witch that stepped onto the stage to greet him. "Greetings!" His voice was loud and obnoxious as usual as he then swung his arms up into the sky and went on with the speech he had originally tried to tell to Angela. "I am the great Black*Star! The Witch Hunter that will one day transcend the Gods! I will annihilate every single Witch that stands in my way of that dream and I will be the ultimate warrior with ultimate power! No stage is too small or too big for me! I can handle anything that is thrown at me! The spot light _loves_ me, and it will follow me all the way into the stars as I reach out and knock the God's into oblivion! Heed my words when I say this: even I, the greatest star in the sky will be able to take down the mighty Mabaa. She aint so bad! I can take her down no sweat! HAHAHAH!"

Tsubaki was the only person who stood through that and listened on to the very end. Soul wasn't sure how she was able to do it, but she did, because she had smiled at him throughout the entire speech and when he was finished, her hands lifted up to clap together in applause. Black*Star surely got a thrill out of that since he hadn't actually had an audience to listen to him from start to finish in a long time.

"You sure have spirit." She said to him, laughing at his cheerful response. "I hope you do end up surpassing the Gods."

"Of course I will! How could I not, I mean look at me!"

Before anyone else could say anything, a foot was thrown into Black*Star's shin and he was hunching over to grab it with a loud yell. "I don't like the part when you said you'd annihilate every single Witch!" Angela gasped, throwing her fists up into the air as the blue haired boy glared down at her. "I'm not really sure what annihilate even means but I know it's bad! You're a big meany head! I hate you!"

"When I said that, I meant all the Witches that stand in my way!" Black*Star corrected her as his nostrils flared in anger. Soul reached out to grab him but when he tried, the ninja stepped forward and out of his reach. "Are you going to get in my way of surpassing the Gods?"

"Maybe!" Angela responded, sticking her tongue out.

"Then I'll have to annihilate you now won't I?"

As Black*Star began to lift his fist up in a threatening position, Soul jumped forward to grab his arm and pull him back from the young Witch. "Hey!" He jerked him back with enough force to get him to stumble and when his eyes were on him, he scowled. "Remember, she's just a kid. Stop."

"She started it!"

"Don't care." Soul shook his head and when he took his hand away he went ahead and slapped it against Black*Star's shoulder too. "It doesn't matter anyway. You're gonna' have to go through _him_ before you can even touch her." With those words, the musician gestured over to the samurai that was standing nearby with a patient but defensive stance as his eyes stared coldly at the blue haired boy. Black*Star leaned back and stared at the older man with perplexed eyes before finally, he perked up and grinned in a challenging way.

"Alright alright. Bring it on old man." He began to hop on his feet with his hands up to taunt the samurai. "I bet'cha I could kick your ass. I'll promise not to hurt the Witch since she's just a kid but if you wanna fight, then let's do it." Soul was about to grab the boy again and pull him over to the fire pit to just sit down and shut up, but he moved away before he could and he continued to provoke the katana warrior with meaningless threats and jokes.

Mifune seemed annoyed, but he did comply with what Black*Star wanted. He seemed to know that all the boy wanted to do was have a good fight so he reassured Angela, pat her head to let her know she could sit by Maka and he took his katana set to go brawl with the ninja before he went ahead and hurt himself while he waited.

"Will he be okay…?" Maka asked.

Soul sat down beside her and reached up to run his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, he'll be just fine." He remembered the time when Black*Star's fist collided with his stomach all that time ago and he could almost feel the nausea churn his insides. "That guy's head is as tough as a rock. He could probably split the Earth in two with one head butt." With that said, he was reminded of when Black*Star's forehead collided with his own and the pulsing ache almost returned. He set his hand on his head and groaned. "It's amazing…but not cool…"

Maka smiled softly and reached up with one of her hands to brush her knuckles against his chin affectionately like he had done to her back at her house. "I'd get him back for beating you up, but I think Mifune's got it covered." She heard him chuckle under his breath and leaned against him before turning her attention to Tsubaki. She was about to say something to her about the s'more stuff Mifune brought out, although when she saw where the camellia's attention was turned to, her mouth zipped shut and her eyes widened just slightly.

Tsubaki was watching Black*Star as he sparred with the samurai with the multiple swords. Her eyes were calm but her expression showed nothing but awestruck and wonderment in just soft hints. It was hard to catch, but Maka knew her well enough to know what the "Class C" Witch was thinking. It made her smile as she watched her friend become enchanted and she leaned more into the young man she herself had been captivated by. It almost seemed crazy just how easily she had been swept away by a human boy…but seeing the admiring glimmer in her best friend's eyes gave her a sense of feeling that maybe things were always meant to be this way.

Maybe she and Soul were truly meant to be together…and maybe Tsubaki also had someone to lean to when she had nowhere else to go.

When Black*Star returned to their circle and sat next to Tsubaki, it didn't frighten her off in the least. Maka knew the other Witch was in need of something different than the usual too, so having someone like him around her would be good for her…even if he did pretend to be exhausted to lean against her just for the support of her breasts and to tease Soul about the lack of Maka's. That definitely earned him a book to the head, and it was then when he unconsciously dozed in the Camellia's lap for most of the evening. His feelings and intentions became a lot more genuine when he was asleep, she gathered. His slumbering state told them what his wide awake loud mouth wouldn't. Even though he had boasted about getting to put his head on Tsubaki's chest, the second he was out cold in her lap, his lips were spread in a small content smile and there was no doubt about it that his cheeks had been colored with a hint of pink.

It was then when Soul realized, that the day finally came when Black*Star found someone who could tolerate him just as much as he could, if not, more. A girl that even he could bow down to and get red faced around.

And he didn't expect that to happen until Hell itself froze over.

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><p>TSUSTAR IS CUTE.<p>

DEAL.

xoxoxo


	23. Chapter 23

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 23

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><p>Soul stayed at Maka's place that night, once again being stuffed onto the couch with the same blanket and pillow as the night before. He didn't mind, however, since he got a goodnight kiss and everything. That was enough for him to be satisfied with his sleeping arrangements. The only issue he ever had was how the couch seemed to get smaller than the last time he slept in it, and he was pretty damn sure a spider was hanging in the window while he was trying to get to sleep. He was never one to be afraid of spiders or anything but God damn it that thing just creeped him out like nothing else. He wasn't able to get to sleep until he finally got up and forced the black bug out the window since he'd been too tired to smash it between his hand and the glass plane.<p>

It wasn't until after the damn thing was outside that he realized it probably would have taken less effort to just kill it with one of Maka's books.

He wouldn't realize just how much of a dilemma he had caused for the two of them until much later the next day.

For now, he had something else to settle with in the early morning when he returned home.

"Soul!"

He was caught by his Mother yet again as he was trying to get out of his house without being seen. He had to stop by on his way to school so he could grab his bag, so he was trying to be quick about it. However, the second he got to the first floor at the bottom of the stairs, Roselin had popped out of the bedroom and began rushing down the stairs in alarm. Her expression confused him. Normally she was calm and collected and would stride down the steps like she was a Queen. This not so special Tuesday morning, however, she almost seemed frightened while she dashed down to his level and reached out to grab him by one of his shoulders. This was because the other hand was occupied with a half full mug of her morning coffee. It was only half full because of her frantic movements and it must have spilled on the carpet as she made a break for him.

"Soul someone has stolen the spell book!" She was shrieking and shaking him and he wasn't sure how to handle the situation at all. "We haven't been into the artifact room since we got it, we had no idea!" His eyes widened and he was sure his heart stopped beating for longer than just a second. His body became numb and he could barely feel that his muscles had become taut out of fear. "Only you and your Brother know about that room, Soul, and your brother has no idea what happened." Now his heart was racing, he was beginning to feel utter terror build up within his chest. He parted his lips but could say nothing as she went on. "Did you have anything to do with this?" Yes he did! He was the one that took it! He was the one who did this and now he was caught! He might as well fess up! Maybe he would be forgiven? "Did you tell the Witch?" No! He brought the book _to_ the Witch! "Are you working with the Witch?" Yes! He was working with her! He was in love with her! He was guilty! He was so terribly guilty that he knew he would mortify her! He knew he would be in so much trouble that his knees weakened, his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest and his body shook underneath her hand. He was caught and yet he just wanted to run away and hope to God that she wouldn't chase him down.

"Soul, say something!"

Soul's body flinched noticeably and in the corner of his eyes he was sure he saw something bright surround the mug in her hand. However the second he saw it, it disappeared and the cup in her hand shattered into pieces; causing all of what was left of her coffee to spill over her hand and onto the floor. As she gasped and took her hand back, he used that as his chance to get away and he spun around quickly to bolt out of the front door before he managed to have a heart attack.

That was too close for comfort, and he knew that it would only lead to more issues in the future. There was no way his Mother was going to let this one go and his only way out of it was to run away from home and go straight to Maka's every single day. He knew that it wouldn't work forever, but it was the only thing he could think of when he was under such a petrified state of mind. He wasn't sure what he would do if he was caught. He wasn't sure if he could handle the pain of losing Maka to the hands of his own Parents.

What the hell was he going to do?

Instead of paying attention to his fight with the first "Class B" Witch other than Maka, Soul stood in the corner and thought about what had happened during his confrontation with his Mother. Her words cut through him like a knife, each question stabbing into his gut with a bitter guilt that made him sick. He had betrayed his own Mother and he was defending the Witch. That wasn't as crazy as it should have sounded, though, because he knew he had feelings for the Witch and her happiness and safety had become his first priority since the day he fell, but the fact that he was going behind his Mother's back about this was starting to finally show signs of eating away at him.

He felt like he was going mad.

And that light! What the hell was that? It looked like the void element but he couldn't get a good grasp on it. It seemed like it did what the void had done to his sword all those weeks ago when Maka demonstrated the destructive power of the abnormal element, but why would something like that appear to destroy his Mother's mug? Maka wasn't anywhere nearby…he had left her to do whatever it was she was planning on doing that day and he knew it wasn't to follow him home and spy on what he and his Mother had to talk about.

There was just no way.

Had that magic come from him?

No, that was impossible.

Or was it?

Maybe the bond had more tricks and surprises in store for him than he thought.

If things couldn't possibly get any worse: the Witch called Jackie was more than enough to piss him off. He was aware that she was one of Maka's friends that had been captured by the teachers at the Academy, but he was simply not in the mood to be toyed with or get a giant ball of fire thrown into his face. He seriously was not. His mind was on other things at the moment and he could not afford to concentrate on the fight at all. He let Black*Star, Kid, and the others do most of the dirty work and he only moved around the arena to avoid the fire that burned through the group of students like they were nothing.

What was he going to do?

_What the hell was he going to do_?

"Hey, you've been standing out this whole time." Jackie called out to Soul with a wave of her wand, effortlessly moving aside as Black*Star hurled himself at her. He hit the ground, rolled and swung his short sword around when he was back on his feet but she dodged each swing before holding her wand up to deflect it. The split second her weapon touched his was enough to cause the small blade to melt like molten metal. The ninja tripped over his own two feet after the surprise hit him and after the Witch reached out to push him and get the job done, she jumped out of Death the Kid's grasp and moved over to where Soul stood. She snapped him back to reality when her hand reached out and snatched up his shirt to throw him into the wall. Then her wand was beginning to glow a blazing red as her brown eyes furiously stared into his own. "Why aren't you fighting me?" She asked him. "Are you scared?"

"No." Soul replied with an indifferent gaze. "I just don't care for this fight right now."

"E-Excuse me?!"

He felt the heat radiate off of the tip of her wand and he closed his eyes in hopes Stein would jump in and stop the attack before she killed him. However, as he waited for the rescue, a pain shot through his abdomen that caused his body to jolt and his hands flung up to push her away from him. His sword hit the ground beside him as he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his stomach to cough up what he thought would be blood spilling into his mouth, but nothing came out. In fact, the pain had disappeared almost as soon as it came.

Just as the Witch tried to speak up, she had been pushed aside and thrown into the wall near Soul by Death the Kid. He smashed her face into the wall without mercy and took one of her hands to hold it behind her back. "Soul what's the matter?" He asked this with urgency and concern coating his tone of voice. "She didn't touch you. Are you having a poor reaction to something you may have eaten?"

_Was_ that what had happened? He could have sworn it felt like he had been kicked in the gut by Black*Star, but the fact that he hadn't been hit at all baffled him.

No wait.

_Maka_.

He brought his head up and looked at the gate that led out of the arena and into the forest. It was the gate that he had come through all that time ago when he was late for their class after meeting Maka for the first time outside of town. It was the gate that would lead him to Maka's home if he just got up and left. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

"I'll take her…" Stein stepped in and took the "Class B" that was growling and snapping insults over at the white haired boy out of Kid's hands and then took her back over to the cell where the other Witches were held. Once he closed it the gate and locked it, he turned his knowing gaze to Soul and smiled coldly behind a lit cigarette. "Did she hurt you Soul? Would you like a trip to the dispensary?"

"Shut up." Soul uttered out, eyeing the Scientist that watched him carefully from the other side of the arena. "It felt like my insides just shifted."

He pushed himself onto his feet and eyed the gate again. He didn't want to ignore the feeling he got but he couldn't just leave in the middle of their day. It was already later than most afternoons, but Stein had told them that morning that they were going to be fighting until the sky turned pink and orange so they weren't anywhere near being done with this at all. But the feeling that had come over him was worrying, and he couldn't help but wonder just what on Earth Maka had gotten herself into. If it wasn't some sort of stomach ache, it was definitely something that was going on with her. That thought didn't settle well with him at all but no matter how much he thought, his body didn't move any closer to the gate than he already was.

"I think another fight with Free is in order…" Stein mused, turning at the heel to go fetch the very monster himself. "He's going to be a part of The Exam and since a good lot of you will be taking part this year, I think you should get yourself familiarized with his illusions and defense strategies."

There it was again. This time Soul felt the surge of pain shooting through his skull and down his spine; literally making his entire body burn as if he'd been struck on the wrong nerve. He gasped and doubled over; attracting a lot more attention than the first time he felt this strange happening come over him. Like last time, just as fast as the feeling sent sparks through each and every nerve in his body, it was gone and he was able to stand up straight again. Everyone stared at him, befuddled, and before Stein could turn around and get the Wolf man from his confinement, he bolted to the gate without any other hesitation.

That last jolt of energy was what told him to go. He knew now that it was much more than just an ache in his gut, but actual harm coming to the "Class B" Witch living out in the woods. "I'm leaving!" He shouted this over his shoulder as he threw himself through the gate and dragged his sword along with him. There was no way he would let himself get stopped at this point. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him and he kept running even after his chest began to burn and even after he felt the occasional nerve shocking attacks Maka was receiving at the moment. He would not stop until he found her and pulled her out of that danger.

Stein spun around just as he was about to release their next opponent and he reached up to prevent his glasses from falling off of the bridge of his nose. "…someone go after him." He gestured his hand calmly in that direction and it was Black*Star who reacted first. He ran over to the wooden table, gathered his usual weapon into his hands and then was charging for the back gate to follow the musician out into the wood.

"Leave it to me!"

If he hadn't have gone through that month of physical training and conditioning, then there was no way he would have been able to run for as long as he did that day. He wouldn't have lasted as long as he did; he would have stopped at that creek he zoomed past at least four or five minutes ago and he would have splashed the water onto his face and taken a break. There was no time for breaks though. Maka was in danger and he was absolutely terrified of what it could be that was attacking her. There were so many possibilities: His Parents, another Witch, Mabaa, and let's not forget _his Parents_.

Before he could think of anything else, a blur of blue, white and black flashed before his eyes and caused him to skid to a stop. "Black*Star!" He started moving again to run around the ninja, but was only interrupted when the other Witch hunter got in his way. "What are you doing? Get out of my way!"

"Nuh-uh. Stein sent me to bring you back." He hung the chain scythe around his neck to hold up one of his hands and gesture him to follow him back to the city. "What's up man? What's got you in such a panic? You're totally freaking out."

"No shit." Soul growled, moving to get around the boy. He sneered when he felt Black*Star's hand press against his shoulder to stop him yet again. "Maka's in trouble and I need to help her. I'm not going to ignore it!" When the other boy's eyebrow shot up to his hair line, Soul's tense shoulders relaxed and he stood back. He had almost forgotten that the bond was something that was only between him and Maka. His best friend knew nothing about it. "…I can feel her pain." He explained himself quietly, breathing heavily to calm his nerves. "I can feel her fear too. She's terrified. I need to find her."

"But how?"

"We're bonded." Soul replied. "It's this thing that happens when a Witch kisses you. It makes you feel their pain and their emotion…I …I think it gives you some of their magical power too."

Soul was surprised to see that Black*Star hadn't made a suggestive expression when he mentioned kissing but one full of astonishment instead.

"Whoa man so you're, like, magical now? Do something cool!"

"I don't know how to control it!"

Soul rolled his eyes and then moved to get around his friend, and this time Black*Star let him do so. "Okay, I'll come with you!" He then said, running right beside the white haired male. "In the end, I'm still gonna' bring you back to class! For now we gotta save Maka!" That was much more like it, Soul thought with a smirk. However that smug smile disappeared as soon as he heard what sounded like a distant screaming and his feet started to move even faster out of instinct. "Is she at the cove?" He heard Black*Star from behind him but he didn't look back.

"It sounds like it." Soul changed the direction of their route and started to where he knew they'd end up on the cliff hanging over the cove. It would certainly save them the trouble of climbing over it. "We have to hurry."

Finding that he was on the right track when they started running along the river, Black*Star's speed became a lot faster than before until he was running right up next to Soul. He then held the chain scythe out for the other to hold. "If we have to hurry then you better start running faster or get on my back or something." Soul glared at him from over his shoulder, but after seeing him stare back with a serious gaze, he complied and took the weapon away from him. Although getting on Black*Star's back and juggling three weapons in two hands at the same time wasn't very easy at all. Not to mention: weird.

They managed somehow or another and for some reason, even with all of Soul's weight holding him down, Black*Star was able to run even faster than before. He began jumping across long distances and Soul's eyes widened at the fear of him slipping or running into something that would get them both killed. It didn't help that he was beginning to feel those awful pains in his sides and aches through his body as time went on, but he was glad that he was being carried or that last one to his back would have caused him to stop running and trip over his own feet.

When they arrived at the cove, Black*Star didn't put Soul down immediately, but looked down at what had happened for a good few seconds to take it all in. Soul too looked and felt his heart begin to beat faster at the sight. Maka's home had been destroyed, everything burned, the fire pit no longer existed, the walls surrounding the cove were crumbling away and the water was no longer under control and spilling from one part of the wall but it was flooding the entire circle of land.

What had caused this?

Soul pushed himself off of his friend and dropped the weapons to the ground to step forward and look at what had happened to her beloved home. It was simply destroyed, and the water was slowly filling it all up like some sort of swampland. The place where he had met her was gone, the place he had first eaten her stew was gone, the place they had danced was drowned, and the very spot he first kissed her was obliterated and replaced with a crater full of water.

He was about to call out her name, but the Earth below him gave way and then gravity was pulling him down into the water soaked canyon. He hit the ground before most of the falling rubble did and he moved out of the way as quickly as possible. However he was not as quick as Black*Star could be and one of his legs got caught under heavy and moist dirt. "Shit." His head nearly smashed into the muddy ground once he fell and he was immediately trying to pull himself out.

"Hold on, I got'cha!" Black*Star called out to him as he landed on the ground nearby. He set the sword and chain scythe down and almost slipped as he made his way over to him and crouched to grab his hands. He then began to pull, in which it made Soul feel like his arms were going to get yanked out of their sockets, but he was pulled out from under his potential grave before he could get buried alive. He was helped to his feet, and he immediately moved to start calling out to the Witch that was in trouble.

"Ma—"

"Soul!"

Before he could thrust his voice over the sounds of rushing water, there was an explosion of red light and the trees around them swayed significantly. Soul and Black*Star both held their arms up to prevent themselves from becoming blind, and then from inside the wood, Maka Albarn jumped into the cove and starting running towards them. She was battered and beat, blood running down from the corner of her mouth and over her eyes and her hat and jacket were gone; everything else torn up and scorched.

For a second, Soul let his relief of seeing her take over and he forgot that she had just barely escaped some sort of explosion. He smiled and began to move toward her but as she ran, her eyes were panic stricken and her hands were waving in a way to indicate that she wanted him to leave. She didn't look happy to see him at all, and that was what brought him back to reality.

"Run!" She screamed. "Why did you come here? You can't stay here, you need to go!"

"Like hell I'll just leave!" Soul shouted back, expression now twisting into anger. He stepped forward as the water began to soak into his shoes and he held one hand out to her as the other held the sword with a deathly grip. "I can't just ignore this! What the hell is going on?!"

Just before she could answer him, something crawled out of the woods and jumped down into the cove after her. The air shook and Soul felt an incredible amount of energy push down on his shoulders and he almost fell onto his knees by the mere feeling itself. It was just like the feeling he got from Mabaa, except this thing wasn't a Witch, nor a human; not anymore at least. It looked like a person, but the only difference between him and this thing was the fact that it was terrifying, had moving scarves wrapped around its body, three large eyes printed on the fleshy material around it's head and a bright red light threatening to be shot at them any second now coming from its mouth.

Soul couldn't find it in himself to move a single inch.

That _thing_ was a Kishin.

* * *

><p>aND NOW THINGS ARE GONNA START HEADING DOWNHILL<p>

/HIDES FROM ANGERED READERS


	24. Chapter 24

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 24

* * *

><p>Why couldn't this be just an ordinary Tuesday? Why couldn't he have gotten up, slipped passed his Parents no problem, gone to school to fight a few Witches and then gone to see Maka for the rest of the night? Why did his Mother have to discover that the book was missing? Why did he have to be the one that took it? Why did he discover his potential power over void? Why was Maka getting attacked by a Kishin? Why was she even getting attacked in the first place?<p>

The first thing that came out of Soul's mouth after seeing the monstrous human being on the other side of the cove was in a sour and accusing tone as he angrily looked at the Witch.

"_What did you **do**_?!"

Maka turned to him and went to reply, but the screeching coming from the Kishin caused her to slap her hands over her ears and scream. Obviously this thing had been chasing her for a while, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was terrified. He himself felt his knees shake, but he knew that they would both wind up dead if he let that demonic person have its way. He let the adrenaline do the talking, and closed his eyes for a quick breather before turning to look at Black*Star. To his surprise, the boy hadn't been affected at all and he was only staring at the fiend with a large confident grin that gave him the chills.

"'Star, we have to—"

"I know." Black*Star gave a haughty laugh and smashed his fists together as he stared at the Kishin in anticipation. "I can't wait to kick this thing's ass. Let's do it Soul. It'll be a whole lot more exciting than going up against the same old Witches over and over again! I say—did you know Kishin are considered Godly like creatures? Will today be the day I finally do it? Will I surpass a God? Of course I will." Soul's smile was bitter and nervous as he felt a grim envy bubble up inside him. He was amazed by his friend's simple minded spirit and dedication. It frightened and filled him with astonishment all at the same time. "Come on Soul. He's about to attack."

"What—" He spun around to face the Kishin again and that was when he noticed that Maka had already run out of the way and the bright light forming at the monster's mouth had become much more intense. His eyes widened and the only reason why he was able to move out of the way in time was because Black*Star had grabbed his wrist and pulled him along to move toward the destroyed remains of the house. The light shot out as an immensely powerful laser and crashed against the wall of the cove; the Earth shaking beneath their feet as if they'd been caught in the middle of a thunder storm. It was amazing to think that no one from the City had come running yet.

Soul felt the sudden pang of realization when he saw the result of the blast. The reality of it all hit him with the force of a truck and he couldn't bring himself to stand properly as a giant red circle of light surrounded the Kishin's form. Chunks of Earth fell into the cove where his last attack hit; bringing down dismembered trees and plants as the water began to pool even more. Maka was caught under the water when she tried to throw her wand up for an attack and her surprised yells were lost in the sounds of the Kishin's insane laughter. It rang through his ears like an off tune instrument that would shred through his eardrums and he cringed deeply.

"Come on Soul. Let's get him while he's distracted!"

"R-Right!"

After composing himself, Soul picked himself up and started running toward the Kishin at the same time as his friend had. Although, Black*Star was faster and he was already attacking the Kishin and wrapping his chains around one of his long bony arms to jump over and pull it back in the wrong direction. Maybe he was hoping he would be able to pull the arm out of its socket or even break it, but Soul knew either way it wouldn't do much damage to a powerful demon like this. It was basically a person with all the attributes of a monster and yet Soul couldn't even imagine what this person could have looked like if and when he was a normal human.

It took them awhile to set up an attack pattern like when they would go up against the Witches back in the arena. Normally the students would go one at a time to attack in case they were to harm each other or even get off track and start arguing. He and Black*Star traded off like they practiced every single day by having the ninja wrap the chains of his weapon around the Kishin's limps or throwing his fist straight across his face. On Soul's turns, he was only able to manage swinging his blade at anything that was whipped out toward him or Maka. The scarves had become Soul's main priority once he realized that they could stretch out far enough to snag the Witch by her ankle, drag her across the damp ground and throw her into the far wall of the cove; only causing more destruction and water to spill. Then there was the fact that this inhuman monster could summon up a hot energy that was strong enough to carve into the rock wall behind them. It had become a serious issue when he would call out to 'vajra' to try and blast through them like they were insects and Soul swore he saw his life flash before his eyes countless of times.

Soul began to start cutting through the paste colored scarves whenever one would reach out for Maka. There came times when he would have to throw himself in the way and take a hit too. While the Kishin was busy conjuring dark magic circles for the sake of blowing Black*Star away, one of his scarves wound its way around Soul's waist and lifted him off of his feet. He certainly knew how to fight more than one person at a time, and that was easily a problem. As he growled under his breath, he felt his body get swung around and then gravity pulled down on him when he was tossed over toward the cobble remains of Maka's home. As his body was flung through stone and burnt material, he dropped the sword and held back a choke in pain. Not only was he feeling the burn from the attacks he was getting put though, but everything that happened to Maka had rushed through him as well and it made him even more exhausted and unable to return to his feet as time went on.

The bond could be pretty handy in any other situation, but it sure as hell didn't do them any good in this fight.

He spit up the blood that had begun to move its way up his throat and pushed himself up with shaking arms. He was surprised he had survived this long, honestly. If this had happened before everything he did with Maka throughout the last month, then he would have died a long time ago.

"Soul." Maka was at his side and wrapping her arms around him the second he began to move again. It was not an embrace, however, but a solid hold to help him get up and out of the rubble. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was rushed and harsh. "I didn't mean to get caught."

"What do you mean?" Soul wheezed, catching her gaze just before she managed to look away. "_What did you do_?"

Again, her answer had been interrupted when she noticed more of the scarves were coming their way as Black*Star distracted the Kishin from his next laser attack. Maka sprung to her feet, stood in front of the musician and held up her wand with a determined sharpness to her eyes. She then used a shielding magic to deflect as many of the attacks as she possibly could before her magic power depleted due to her using so much of it whilst running away before. She swore to herself and held her arms up to brace herself and block her face so that when she was whipped, her strong posture kept her on her feet. It hurt like hell, but she managed to keep standing and smirk at the demon when he noticed that his attack had not been effective.

"Is that all you got?"

It was then when one of the scarves managed to flick Black*Star out of the picture and the Kishin turned his full attention to Maka. He seemed annoyed now, as his teeth noticeably revealed in a sneering scowl. Then his mouth opened wide and a familiar great red light was shot at them before Maka's energy could build up again. The smug expression the Witch wore disappeared as the heat began to magnify in intensity and come closer to her. Then, just as she closed her eyes to accept the painful blast, her wrist had been snatched up and she was yanked down into a protective embrace.

Her back burned for a brief moment but it disappeared as soon as she realized it was through the bond that she felt it. Soul had taken that hit for her and surprisingly enough, even though he was biting back a pained whimper, he was still conscious. Her eyelids opened wide as she stared up at his disgruntled face and she did her best to try to thank him. However, nothing came out but a quiet croak in disbelief and he pushed himself back up to move over to where his sword lay. Once it was in his hand and he was standing up straight again, he turned around and faced the Kishin with a bloody grin of new a found confidence shadowing Black*Star's own determination. Then he staggered slightly, but managed to climb over the ruins of the small house to hold the sword up in a ready position.

"Hey, how about you come over here and actually fight me?" He did regret saying it, but it sure as hell sounded cool. "Coward."

The Kishin stared at him from behind the three eyed mask wrapped around his head. Then, taking Soul's challenge, his lips split the skin in a large grin and before Soul could react, he had disappeared from existence; leaving nothing but wet ground and the sounds of rushing water. Just as his body flinched back, the monster had returned in a blink of an eye, but instead of being on the other side of the cove, he was only just a few feet away and holding up a fist to strike. His heart stopped dead in his chest, and Soul fumbled with the sword in his last attempts to try and counter the attack, but just as the Kishin moved further, Black*Star finally returned to the heat of battle and threw his own fist into the side of the demon's face. The impact was so strong that Soul heard the kishin's jaw crack, and the strength was so beyond that of a humans, it caused the fiend to be flung across the swampy ground and slide across the mud like a beaten dog.

"Not today!" Black*Star shouted, holding up his arm to block Soul from coming any closer. He saw that his hands had become bare of any weapon, clothes soaked from the raging waters around them and his face was covered in a trail of blood that trickled down from his forehead. He and Soul both certainly got a good beating from this. "Soul." The Ninja gave him a quick glance over his shoulder before gesturing toward the Witch that kept her ground over by the broken down house. "Get Maka out of here, I'll handle the rest!" When he started running toward the Kishin to prevent him from getting back on his feet, Soul ground his teeth in irritation. Of course the guy just _had_ to take care of things. The show was his after all. Honestly, Soul was just blown away by the fact that his friend could fight something like that off without a weapon.

"Seriously, you are one amazing guy, Black*Star."

Really, there was no use getting angry over something so trivial anyway. After coming to that conclusion, Soul managed to turn around and run over to Maka before Black*Star's leg collided with the Kishin's face again.

"How are you even conscious?" She questioned with a shaking voice.

"I blame the adrenaline." He replied. "Once things settle down, I'll be out cold."

He grabbed her hand and began to run toward the cliffside with the most promise of getting up and over. However, halfway there was when _it_ happened: the most terrifying five seconds of his life. The Kishin had done his disappearing act yet again and this time, his target was Maka. Her hand was yanked out of his grasp as she raised her arms in an attempt to cast a quick spell with what magic she had left in her being, but when she met the sad truth that her magic had been completely worn out, her heart raced through her chest as the fear enveloped the very last bit of courage she had been storing up for this last attack. She was sure she was dead, because Soul's reaction time was not yet fast enough to turn and stop this demon's hands from wrapping around her throat.

As if Black*Star really was from out of this world, he had appeared between them just inches away from Maka's body and held his hands out to catch the Kishin's before they reached her. It was as if it all happened as fast as lightning would travel through the cloudy sky of a rainy night. The lightning flash of a ninja had once again saved the day and only further amazed the two of them with his inhuman strength and speed. Soul and Maka both stared as the Kishin growled in annoyance, his mouth then opening to show a golden staff emit from the back of his throat. When the tip of it began to glow brightly, Soul finally found it in himself to react. He gripped the handle of the sword, ducked down underneath Black*Star's arms and thrusted the sword up into the demon's chest; immediately causing the light to disappear. That wasn't enough to kill something with so much power, but it was enough to make it scream and push itself away from them.

Soul shot up in reaction once they split apart and he threw himself into Black*Star, who in turn got shoved into Maka as if they were standing too close together in a line. They stared as black hairs revealed underneath the skin colored wrapping on its head and the scarves pushed against the ground until it gave way under the pressure. Then, with one final screech, it jumped into the sky and kept going until they could no longer see it.

The three of them probably looked up toward the clouds with wide eyes for a good solid minute before Black*Star's booming laughter cut through the silence.

"Wow! Nice going Soul! My face was beginning to feel like I was shoving my head into an oven! Pretty sure my head woulda been blown off if he succeeded that time!"

The sword slipped out of Soul's hand and fell into the ankle deep water as his rush began to fade away and disappear. He felt his body sway, knees become weak and the only reason why he hadn't fallen over was because Maka had reached out to catch him. "Are you okay?" Her voice was soothing now that everything was over and done with. The adrenaline that had been pulsing through his veins faded and he stumbled back a few steps into her and raised his hand to his forehead. "Soul?" Her voice was heard again and this time, he saw that she was leaning over him to look at his face.

He would have been okay if he would have just smiled, brought her close and gone home with a resolved issue, but the fact that all of this happened because of something she did—not to mention the fact that he'd been stressing over everything that happened that day already—Soul's racing heart never slowed and the furious tremble of his closed fists was what helped him regain his composure and turn to face her.

"What did you do?" He felt like a broken record at this point. It had been, what, the third or fourth time he asked her this? "Why was that thing chasing you? What could you have _possibly_ done in a mere four hours to get a _Kishin_ coming after you?" He was livid and it was no mystery if she could see that or not. Maka's eyebrows knit together in worrisome and she took a few steps back as he held his hands up questioningly. "Maka? What was it?"

"I did…I did something really stupid."

"Yeah, you did." Soul agreed with her and came closer. The anger boiling up in his core instantly disappeared the second he noticed her flinch back. He paused, jaw slacked, eyed Black*Star for a moment, and stood back again to calm himself. He would get nowhere but down in the dumps with her if he continued to yell. He didn't want to scare her off or make her angry… "…Maka."

"I broke my Mama out." Her heart hadn't even gotten the chance to beat before he was angry again.

"You _what_!?"

Again, Maka's shoulders jumped and her viridescent eyes were scanning her destroyed home. "I…I broke my Mama out. I've been planning on doing so for quite a while now. I just…I didn't think I would actually get caught." Soul stared at her in disbelief, now feeling the water soak into his pants just above his shoe line.

"Well, where is she?"

"I told her to leave." Maka replied quietly. "I told her to go find Papa."

Soul's jaw became taut and he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. At least her Mother hadn't been captured again, but even so, her intentions were not to get caught and she had been. They sent a Kishin after her for Pete's sake.

"That's not the only reason why Mabaa sent that Kishin after me." Maka's voice suddenly became grim and his gaze shot up to find that she was frowning at him. "Arachne saw us." Her hands balled into fists and he could sense her frustration and distraught through their bond. "She had a spider watching and she saw everything." For a moment, he was completely lost of what to say or do. The realization that the spider she had been talking about was the one he let live the night before was too much and he was rendered motionless. "She told Mabaa everything about you, about us. She'll keep sending him. She'll keep trying to kill the both of us. We…We'll end up just like my Mama and Papa, but they won't keep either of us alive this time. I'm just meaningless space. I—" She stopped herself and moved away when he reached out for her. "I…I have to go."

"What?" His heart dropped. "You're not serious."

"I need to leave." The "Class B" Witch shook her head and reached up to lace her fingers through her ratted hair. "If I go somewhere far off then she won't be able to find me and she won't know where to look to find you. If we separate and keep apart we should be safe enough—"

"No, you can't be serious." Soul felt his blood run cold and he moved across the swampy ground to find some sort of comfort by touching her arms. "You can't leave."

She shook her head, pig tails whipping against her pale skin, and tried to step away from his grasp. "I have to. If we're apart, then suspicion between us will grow low and you will be put out of danger. I can't let you get killed for something that I did. I need to get far away from here." This couldn't be happening. Soul felt his throat become dry and the hold he had on her arms became a lot more difficult for her to escape from. "I'm not saying I regret anything that has gone on between us, b-but we really should have been more careful." She brought her hands up to fist the fabrics of his jacket sleeve between her fingers and looked down at their feet. "I may have to be gone for a few months…maybe a year. Maybe then she'll forget."

Soul squeezed her arms and refused to believe that this was happening. Black*Star could snicker and poke fun all he wanted, but he was sure that this situation had begun to make his eyes water and spill over with hot tears. "Stop talking." He tried not to sound pathetic. His emotions were simply out of control—the thought of her being gone for that long sounded insane, it made his chest hurt, his gut twist, all of the unthinkable feelings he never even imagined to exist overflowed through him and made him feel as if he couldn't even breathe.

"But Soul I have to—"

"No. Stop saying that."

"Soul." Her eyebrows creased as his hands finally set her free and she reached up to take hold of his cheeks. "Please don't cry. I've never seen you cry before, this is weird." She tried to smile and joke around, but the way he shook and tried so hard to keep his composure made her feel a sense of failure. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"No you can't." He grabbed her again but this time she jerked herself out of his hands and took a few steps back. "Maka you can't leave, I need you." His voice shook in desperation as she turned to Black*Star and nodded her head, receiving a quiet nod in response. "Maka! The Exam is tomorrow! If you leave now I won't be able to focus! I…I can't do this without you here." He reached out and grabbed her wrist to bring her attention back to him. "You can't just walk away! Don't leave me...Please!"

She was so pained, and so _terrified_ and he didn't have to see it in her eyes to know it. Those feelings shot out like flares in their bond that made his own heart wench and his own distraught to turn his frown even deeper. It was enough to let him know that she didn't want to do this either, but the fact alone that she shook her head at him said that she was still going to leave no matter what he said.

"Please. Don't say that I'm just walking away." She whispered with a cracked voice so low, even Black*Star had turned away out of respect of their privacy. "I'll always want you."

Her hand pulled out of his hold and the warmth of her scorched skin on his disappeared in an instant. Soul's eyes widened greatly and he moved forward to try and grab her again, but this time it was for real and she had held her hand up to conjure her teleportation magic to disappear from sight in the blink of an eye. He let his weak muscles give way and his knees couldn't support him any longer as he fell to the water covered ground to let out a pitiful sob he could not hold back no matter how hard he tried.

"Soul…we should get outta' here before it fills up too much."

He ignored Black*Star for the most part as he ground his teeth together and stared into the rippling pools of the forest's tears beneath him. His own tears had run dry by now, but the remaining drops of salt water kept attached to his skin fell every so often when they ran down to the tip of his nose or the end of his chin.

Maka was gone.

Now all he wanted to do was rot away.

* * *

><p>oops, did i just pull a wrecking ball<br>i think I might have done so

hefiuhreg

anywayy

so sorry about the late update. I got really side tracked AND action scenes arent exactly my forte

gomen  
>i hope its okay<p>

xoxoxoo


	25. Chapter 25

Soul Eater: VOID

Chapter 25

* * *

><p>Going home wasn't an option at this point.<p>

He was an emotional wreck, and his Parents were highly suspicious of him over the missing spell book. They would be awake for another eight hours or so and there wasn't a chance in hell that he'd get out of an interrogation in the pitiful state he was in without cracking under the pressure. They would question him all day until the sun set and leave him to rot away in his seat; skin burning under the hot light of judgment hanging over his head. Then he would snap and let everything pour uncontrollably and he knew he wouldn't get out of a beating from his Father and an ashamed cold shoulder from his Mother.

They already hated him enough; why add fuel to the fire?

What on Earth had he gotten himself into, he wondered? Honestly, he should have done what any regular Witch Hunter would have done when he found Maka sitting by the waterfall all those weeks ago. He knew he should have killed her and he knew that his life had become a mess in less than an hour because of it, so why couldn't he find any reason to regret it all? Was it because he actually loved her? Was it too soon to say that? Was it too soon to even question it? Maybe that had been the reason why he crumbled into a pool of depressed muck when she left. Maybe that had been the reason why he had to be dragged out of the forest by Black*Star. Maybe that was why he was alone by Black*Star's dining table, sitting on his knees on a comfortable pillow.

In the end, Soul tried to pretend that it all didn't faze him as much as it actually had. He told himself that Maka was still sitting in her house down by the creek with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book opened up in her lap. He told himself that Maka hadn't left. He told himself that the cove hadn't been filled up with water up to the point where the mossy ground couldn't be seen anymore. He convinced himself that Maka would still be there when he returned with Soul Eater after he completed The Exam the next day.

However, just as his mind had been cleared of his distraught, it was clouded with doubt again while he bit down on the inside of his cheek in anticipation. He forgot for a moment that his teeth were sharp and swore he could taste copper even after cleaning himself up from the result of the fight. The question that remained irking his thoughts was 'how was he going to win Soul Eater'? Soul stared down at the small table with thoughtful eyes, stuck on a single point in the wood as if it would help resolve his conflict. How would he be able to win Soul Eater by killing a Witch at the end? He couldn't kill a Witch. He _despised_ the thought of taking the life away from any Witch other than Mabaa herself. She was the only one he wanted to tear apart. He would _mutilate_ her if he had the chance.

"Here you are, Soul."

As a sweet voice absorbed the quiet air around him, a small cup was placed down onto the table. A hot steam drifted from the dark liquid inside and filled his nostrils with a pleasant scent that relaxed his tired muscles. "…thanks." He normally didn't drink tea, but Tsubaki had been nice enough to brew something up while Black*Star took his turn in the shower. He still wasn't quite sure why the "Class C" Witch was even at the ninja's apartment during this time of day but hadn't paid mind to question it until then. "…what are you doing here anyway? You were cleaning earlier when we first got here…"

Tsubaki sat herself down on the pillow across the table from him and she too had a small cup of tea in one of her hands. She placed it on the flat surface and looked up at him with a peaceful gaze he knew was meant to soothe him. "Ah, well…he said I could stop by whenever I wanted." Her finger idly tapped against the surface of the cup and her lips curved in a tiny, almost unnoticeable, smile. "I came by this morning before he left for school and noticed everything was a mess. So I decided to clean while he was gone." She heard about what had happened back at the cove from Black*Star while Soul was showering earlier, so she understood why he looked gloomy before she came by with the warm beverages. "I'm sorry about Maka. She can be quite rash sometimes."

For a moment, Soul thought he could forget about what happened. When she brought it up, he felt his lips pull into another frown and he brought the tea cup to hide it.

"Don't worry about it too much; I'm sure she'll realize soon what she's done." Tsubaki held up one of her hands and waved it around to try and brush his sour look away. "Maka just needs time before she comes back. She can be very fierce and strong…but sometimes her fear can overcome her courage and she runs away thinking that it will help her." Her words were reassuring, but Soul still couldn't bring himself to smile completely. "With time, her determination and stubbornness will return and she'll come back ready to face Mabaa on no matter what!"

"I guess…"

Soul couldn't even blink before her hand had reached across the table to place itself over his.

"She loves you. She will return soon. I promise."

He felt an embarrassed pang in his chest and turned his face away from her. "You don't know that."

"She told me herself."

He gripped the cup tightly and shook his head. "Then why did she leave—"

That was when he felt her hand smack against his shoulder and he jumped up to see that she was looking at him sternly. "She left to protect you. She cares about you." The scolding crease of her eyebrows lifted and she was relaxed again before he could even argue with her. "If she didn't care, do you think she would have done something so risky in the first place?"

"She's an idiot." Soul replied. "She's reckless and—"

"—in love with you. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

He wanted to yell at the Witch sitting across from him but the second his lips parted to do so, they clamped shut again. Now her indigo eyes shined with amusement as she brought the tea cup to her lips. "You know…" She began talking again when she set the cup back on the table. Since he hadn't responded or spoken up after her last question, she went ahead and changed the subject. "She would always tell me about certain things you two did together. She told me that you play piano too, and about how you think you're such a cool guy...and she always tells me about your progress in combat and how proud she is of you." He had begun to tune the Witch out around the time she mentioned the piano, but when the word 'proud' was said, he found himself looking up at her with a silent wonder. "It's really sweet that she thinks so highly of you… there's no doubt in my mind that her feelings are genuine."

His finger twitched against the glass surface of the container in his hand and he knew his heart fluttered just the way it normally did when Maka would smile at him.

"Y-Yeah?"

"I don't think she'd see you as being all that cool right now…" Tsubaki's shoulders shrugged slightly when he immediately became flustered by her comment. "Maybe you should turn that frown upside down and think of the _positive_ things that will come from this."

Finally, the edges of his lips dared to tug upward. "Mabaa will get off of our ass..."

"That's a good start."

"Hey hey! What are you guys talking about?!" Black*Star had finally returned from showering and his chipper mood had returned. He'd been pretty gloomy for his friend on their way to his apartment, but now that he'd gotten cleaned up and in new clothes, he was back to his usual self. "Oh hey, do I get some tea? There _is_ tea leftover for me too, right?"

Tsubaki smiled sweetly up at the boy and gestured to the kitchen. "I left the pot on the counter."

"Awesome!"

When the ninja padded out of the room and entered the kitchen area, the black haired Witch turned her attention back to the musician sitting across from her. "If you can't get your mind off of her leaving then maybe you should put your mind on a goal." He looked back at her and quirked an eyebrow curiously. "Here's something for you to think about: Maka wants to be a regular human girl…and now that you're bonded, that's a possibility." Her smile spread across her face when she noticed the realization glimmer in his red eyes. "Try thinking about what you can do about it. That and Soul Eater is just a day away from being yours."

Soul smiled bitterly. "Black*Star will definitely get it if I have to go up against him in the end. There's just no way."

Tsubaki eyed the kitchen area as the mentioned warrior whistled a tune while he walked back toward them. "Sorry for being absent for so long, that shower was exactly what I needed." Black*Star huffed out a short laugh and opened up the comic book he had tucked under the table so he could look through it over his tea. Beside him, Tsubaki let out a soft giggle and held her own cup to her lips. It was then when she whispered something over to Soul that would have him thinking nonstop until the next day.

"Don't just assume. You would be surprised of the outcome of things…"

* * *

><p>He didn't stay at Black*Star's house forever. Soul had made his way back to his house when he was sure his Parents were dead asleep. They were sure to get their rest so that they could watch over The Exam that would be put on the next day. Even if they were suspicious of him, it was possible that if he woke them up on his way to his room, they would just go back to sleep and leave everything for the early morning conversations. He would have to set an alarm so he could wake up before them and get out the door before something happened. Even though Tsubaki had helped him considerably with just a simple pep talk, there was no way he would be able to lie his way out of such a close situation.<p>

When he first entered his bedroom, everything was out of place and nothing had been where he left it. The blankets had been thrown off of his bed and were sprawled across the floor like someone was in a rush to see what was hiding underneath. He could tell that the bedframe had shifted as well, as if that person had tried to look underneath it or behind against the wall. Every drawer on his dresser and desk were slightly out of place, indicating that someone had gone through those as well and when he saw that his closet door was open and his clothes had been spread apart in a desperate search, he held back the urge to yell out in frustration.

His Parents really had suspected him. They had gone through his room in search of the book.

If only he knew that he wouldn't be alone in his room when he stepped through the threshold, then maybe he would have stayed at Black*Star's after all. His anger had disappeared and was replaced with terror when he noticed that something had begun to knock against the glass bedroom window hung above his bed. He jumped about three feet in the air and hesitantly looked toward it and spotted something out of the ordinary staring back at him with crystal blue eyes and curled brown hair hanging over its shoulders.

A woman?

"…I'm on the second floor." Soul uttered out as he incomprehensibly stared at the woman behind the glass plane. Just how on Earth was she standing on the other side of it? He moved across the floor with uncertainty and crawled onto the bed when he realized she was there to get his attention and he reached up to slide the window open. It was then when he realized that the mysterious woman was sitting on something solid and frosty and was floating just a couple feet above the rose bushes below. His first instinct told him to slam the window shut, but he hadn't had the chance to do so when she thrusted her hand forward and held it out to him.

"Ciao. My name is Natalie."

"S-Soul…" He took her hand and it felt cold to the touch. "Are you—"

"A Witch? Si." The woman smiled and leaned onto the windowsill separating them and he sat down on his bed to listen to what she had to say. He was tired, but he was awake enough to talk for a little while. She didn't come off as a threat either since her cheerful attitude seemed to lift his spirits again after his thrashed room brought him down. She definitely wasn't there to hurt him. "I am an escaped Witch from your school." Her lips were plump and played off an amused chuckle when she saw his perplexed expression. "I am able to leave whenever I wish. They cannot keep an escape artist in their clutches forever."

"Is that why I haven't fought you in the arena then?" Soul questioned, eyeing her carefully. The outfit she wore wasn't revealing but the fabrics were thin and showed off just about every inch of her curvy chest as she leaned into his room. It was a silky white tunic, as if she had stepped out of ancient Roman times. He was surprised she didn't have a green laurel crown wrapped around her head, but instead had a small witch hat pinned into her curly locks. "You're not familiar at all…"

"I only go up against the more advanced students." Natalie leaned her chin into the palm of her hand and let her blue eyes travel around the room. Somewhere to his left, she stopped and stared at a single point and he was certain she had begun to examine one of his compositions pinned up to the wall. However, the second she spoke up again, he had a feeling that she was looking toward the room next door. "That is how I met your big brother."

"…Y-You know my Brother?"

Was that why she was there; why she had suddenly appeared to him this day of all days?

She nodded to him and smiled softly to herself. "He and I are lovers."

"W-What?!"

Natalie's expression shifted from being dazed to full of alarm and she reached out to slap one of her hands against his mouth. "Shh. You will wake your Parents." He stared at her in disbelief with wide crimson eyes and her sky blue hues narrowed apologetically. "My English is terrible. My mistake. When I mean that, I say I love him. We have not bonded or anything of such, but I care very much for him." When she was certain he wouldn't yell again, Natalie took her hand away from his mouth and leaned back. "He originally sent me here because he worries for you. He knows of your Witch partner in the woods."

Soul would have yelled again but the look she gave him the second he took in a sharp breath of air caused him to hold it back and sit still without another word. If his Brother knew about Maka, then why hadn't he done anything about it? Why hadn't Wes approached him about this or told his Parents? Or had he already told them now that suspicion about the book had been raised? No…the real question here was 'how'? How did he find out? How did Wes know about Maka?

"…How does he know?" He tried to whisper but his voice shook and came out a little stronger than he planned it to be. "When did he find out about her? How long has he known?"

"He saw you a few days ago." Natalie gestured over her shoulder to turn his attention to the forest behind her. "Said you were going to a party for a friend of yours." The second she said this he knew exactly what night she was talking about. "He saw you go into the forest so he followed and witnessed a cute little dancing lesson being put on between a human Boy and Witch."

"Why that little—" He growled in frustration and clenched his fists, about ready to storm into the other room and knock his Brother's teeth in. He was undoubtedly grateful that his Brother hadn't done anything in response to what he witnessed, but the fact that he followed him out there and saw what had happened between him and Maka raked on his very last nerve. "I'll kill him."

"Please do not." Natalie gave a sheepish smile and waved her hand. "He is important to me. Do not kill him until I am killed first." He was surprised to hear that and was rendered speechless for a short moment. It was then when she reached out and brushed her hand through his white hair. "You look a lot like him. It is funny." She was quick to change the subject, but he was sure it was because of how grim her last words had been.

"Why are you here…talking to me?"

"I told you already, did I not?" Natalie's head tilted to one side. "Your brother wished of me to speak to you."

Soul looked at his clock to find the time. "It's late."

She too looked at the clock and her cheeks were hinted with a light pink. "Oh! My mistake. I did not mean to keep you." As her icy eyes laid on him again, he saw that her smile hadn't faded but only grew to be more sincere. "If you ever need me for anything I will be glad to help you. Your Brother would like that." Sense when did he care? "For now I will let you sleep. I will return to my cell."

"Why go back?" He asked. "If you have the power to escape, why the hell would you want to return to that place all the time?"

Natalie was thoughtful for a brief moment, her eyes rolling up toward the sky to stare at the moon. It was almost as if staring up at the star lit sky reminded her since she had immediately looked back down at Soul again and held up a knowing finger. "That is easy." Her cheeks were flushed brightly, smile even brighter than before and it was then when Soul finally found out why his Brother day dreamed and hummed with admiration and love in his distant gaze all the time.

"I get to see Wes every day!"

* * *

><p>In the morning, he felt as if his encounter with the Witch Natalie had been a dream. On top of that, everything was still a mess in his room, the window was cracked open and the sun had yet to peer out from behind the distant horizon. His vision was hazed and he sat up groggily, mumbling something about staying up too late being uncool. The Witch, if she actually existed, visited him during the late hours of the evening and kept him up for a little longer than he planned. Instead of allowing her to leave, he asked more questions about his Brother and how exactly she met him. She enlightened him with the story and he was sure he was being told a revised version of Romeo and Juliet.<p>

Her presence had been confirmed when he took a glance out his window and spotted the thick layer of frost covering the grass and rose plants at the base of the house. That was where she had hovered over, so there was no doubt that her cold touch and frozen chair had been responsible for the ice that coated the edge of his window as well.

To even further guarantee the truth of her words, Soul had wandered over to his Brother's bedroom to question him before their Parents woke from their slumber.

He rapped on the bedroom door quietly but strong enough for the other white haired male to hear, and when the door opened, he ignored Wes's befuddled greeting and let himself in completely. He made sure he shut the door behind him and watched as the older of the two took a few steps back toward his bed.

"Explain Natalie to me."

"P-Pardon?"

"You heard me."

Soul stepped away from the door and stared down at his brother with an assertive glare. It was then when Wes smiled in defeat and leaned his hands back on the sheets below him. "Ah…she really did talk to you didn't she? I told her not to do it so soon." When he noticed Soul's brow twitch up in interest, he looked away to stare at the vase stuck on his dresser. There was a blue flower sitting inside, standing tall as if it had been freshly picked. "She's a Witch that I've grown quite infatuated with. She and I face each other in the arena sometimes."

"Is that why you're so respected? Does she let you win?"

Wes chuckled and shook his head. "No no, you've got it all wrong. That's not why I advanced." He looked up at him since Soul had become taller once he sat down on the edge of his mattress. "She fights fair and square. She specializes in ice too; quite troublesome indeed." His Brother didn't seem to be satisfied with this information so he continued on with his explaining. "…I noticed that you've become quite close to a Witch yourself. The "Class B" Mother and Father spied on in the woods awhile back, I assume?" Considering the fact that Soul's eyes had flickered toward the forest behind the window pane, he figured it was true. "…I heard explosions coming from that direction yesterday. I was worried; especially after hearing you ditched class just as they started up."

"…Maka was being attacked." Soul tiredly brushed his fingers through his hair and aimlessly paced in front of his brother. "It was a Kishin. I had to help her."

His Brother watched calmly and immediately questioned him. "How did you know she was in trouble?"

That was when his pacing came to a sudden stop and Soul knew he should have just left this alone. His brother was a good guy, yes, but he was never someone who got his hands dirty for the benefit of the black sheep in the family. He was the goodie-two-shoes that would stop at nothing to make sure their Parents liked him best. If he said something stupid, there was a chance Wes would just use it against him in the future. He always did.

"You're bonded. Aren't you?"

His shoulders tensed and he looked down at his feet, responding with nothing but silence and a nervous shudder.

Instead of being laughed or yelled at, Wes's voice seemed content and kind when he spoke up again. "I suppose it can't be helped. If she likes you enough to give up her bond, then it's justified." Soul looked over his shoulder at him, eyes now reflecting a hint of sadness instead of the cold glimmer he had before. White eyebrows knit together in concern as Wes's smile formed into a frown instead. "Little Brother? What happened? She wasn't hurt, was she?"

It was as if he could read him like a book.

"…No." Soul sighed under his breath and crossed to go sit by him on the edge of the bed. He then rested his arms on his legs to stare down at the dark colored carpeting below their feet. "She left. The kishin that attacked her had a good enough reason to scare her off." Sensing the melancholy in his brother's tone, the older of the two set his hand on his back to relieve the tension. They didn't spend very much time with each other, and when they did it always ended with bickering and toxic words sent back and forth. So when they came together in an agreement and both shared the same feelings, it was a rare and short moment. "I don't think I can stand being away from her for too long."

"I understand how you feel." Wes pat Soul's back a few times before glancing over to the clock. Any minute now and the sun would be lighting up the sky and waking up anyone left still snoozing: including their parents. "Try not to think about it and just hope for the best. For now, you should focus on The Exam. Father asked me to come along to observe it. We'll be right there if you wind up in a pinch."

"I feel _so_ safe." Soul muttered sarcastically.

Wes grinned and threw his hand down on the younger boy's back one last time. "I have complete faith in you!"

That wasn't the first time Wes had ever said something like that to him. It was like a ritual to him when they were younger. Before either of them worked to fight against Witches, they both focused on their compositions and instruments. They would play for an audience in recitals normally ending in the older of the two being praised, but they always started with him wishing the younger one the best of luck and telling him that he had complete faith in him. However it never turned out in the end: Soul was eventually told he could no longer play for the people. He was told that he had to keep practicing and maybe one day he'd be allowed on stage again.

He was never allowed on stage again.

"…I'll do my best I guess."

"That's the spirit."

Wes was blind. That or just plain horrible.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the somewhat fillerish chapter after waiting for so long but it actually has some key points that are brought upuseful later on in the story so yeah

I went through some tough personal issues so that's why this update took so long. I also went to Colorado for a good couple weeks to visit family. Also the weekend around my birthday was hectic. Didn't even see my computer at all.

I'm still having some issues but I should be able to update more often again. I love you guys. Thanks for being patient with me.


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